


Shattered Memories

by Ereri_Freak



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, ereri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-04 05:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6643126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ereri_Freak/pseuds/Ereri_Freak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Divorced parents, they never get along. I moved in with my friend, Armin, last summer, and I met the most amazing guy. Except now I'm moving back with my dad, and I don't get along with him, at all. I don't want to be there, neither does my dad want me either. Levi offered to have me move in with him, transfer schools, but then, the accident happened. </p><p> </p><p>DISCLAIMER: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin, or the characters used in this fic, they belong to Hajime Iyasama, and the title from Dressed_in_Darkness gave me this idea</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this is also posted on my Wattpad account, under the same username, so go check that out! (Self promostion much?)  
> I got this idea from @Dressed_in_Darkness on AO3, so give their account a look also, and I previously had this under the name 'Chasing Summer' but thought it would be better if I had kept a different title.  
> Enjoy!

I hung up the phone, sighing. This would be my last day here, with my dad, I mean. I am moving in with my best friend, Armin, tomorrow most likely.

Summer break was my savior. I couldn't really stand another night here, having to deal with my drug addicted dad, or the never-ending calls from my not so loving mother. If you could manage to call my life okay, then yours is a fairytale.

My dad and mom fought a lot, while I was a little kid, and I heard them arguing every night when I was supposed to be asleep. As expected, they got a divorce the next year; my mom moved out, without me, and I was now stuck here with my dad.

Feeling chilled, although being inside with many layers of blankets wrapped around me, I curled up tighter in my little ball of nothingness on my bed.

My phone buzzed, and I saw a text from my mom, again. As usual, I ignored it and tried to fall asleep again, with no luck.

Pulling out my phone, I decided on calling Armin for a bit to try to get my mind off of things.

When he picked up, I wasn't greeted by Armin, instead by a guy I call horse-face.

They were... dating. Although neither of them has really come out and said it, everyone knew, although we tried to pretend it was still a secret for the two. By the way they talked to each other, the way they looked at each other, it was made obvious, and we all tried to keep them together.

Although Jean, horse-face, was a jerk, he was still nice to Armin, he cared for him and treated him as an equal, so we all allowed their budding romance to continue.

"Hey."

"What's up."

"Nothing much, did Armin tell you I'm moving in with him this summer yet?"

"Yea."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yea, I guess."

"Thanks."

"Well, you've done so much for him, it's only normal for him to allow this while your dad is.."

"It's okay."

This is how we usually talked, short and quick talks, because if we tried to keep up longer, we usually just fought, disagreeing on something.

After hanging up, I tried to fall asleep again, but something kept me up.

Oh yea, dad's probation officer. He'd be coming along tomorrow also, and I needed to be there, and the more important thing was that my dad had to be too. I'm sure he wouldn't show, he'd been gone for about a week now, sending in occasional paychecks, for what, you might ask? To fucking keep me on my feet.

I was as broke as a... I don't know, but I only lived off of the money my dad sent, and a bag or two often from Armin of food. I couldn't be any more thankful to Armin than I already am, or his friends who also help me.

I don't have a job, because I have a little to no education, I was failing all of my classes and was so close to flunking school, so nobody took me in as work. Armin, Jean, Marco, and I all split up the rent for the apartment I had to stay in, and we managed to make it work.

And I wasn't afraid of my dad being taken away, because I had Armin who said he would happily take me in if I was left homeless. But there was the problem of my mom, the police would eventually track her down, and force me to stay with her instead because she was my 'legal parent.'

She was as bad as my dad, a drug addict, a drunk, and she didn't care about me anymore than anyone else did, except for my friends.

Sleep eventually came, and when I woke the next morning, I was greeted by the blinding sunlight at six in the morning, thanks summer for your wacked up morning sunrises. I wanted to buy a curtain to keep the sun out, but seeing as I couldn't afford my own food, and I didn't want to be a burden and ask my friends for one, I had to deal with waking up really early every morning.

Seeing the sun rise every morning was actually very much worth the burden of the time, for it was really beautiful and inspiring. It kind of helped me stay afloat in my own sinking problems.

My dad, my mom, finance problems, they all made me really upset. People around me either take pity on me, or they make fun of me, putting me down even more. People think that I am forced to grow up too fast, which is probably true, because of my parents' divorce, then my dad leaving, then almost having to mortgage, they all wanted to help, but I kindly turned them down.

Today was the last day of school, and thank god for that. I was even thinking of stopping my education and take hold of my problems first, but I didn't yet, because if I did, people would just frown at the sight of me even more.

I don't care what people think anymore, but I don't want their pity, they make it seem as if I'm just a helpless kid, a kid who doesn't need this type of responsibility, and they were true. But I could handle it, I always have, so another couple days shouldn't hurt.

Flinging my bag over my shoulder, checking to make sure the door was locked, and slipping on my headphones, I walked out to the last day of hell. Sure, my teachers weren't all that bad, they all accepted me and stopped most of the kids from picking on me, but the kids took me at the end of the day often and beat me, like my dad did, and threw around my innocence.

Armin would always wait for me though, and we'd always walk home together, sometimes with Jean now, but usually alone to help me take out my thoughts.

The bell rang, and I slammed my locker as hard as I could, for no specific reason, you see, I just like to slam things once in a while. Slumping over once I sat down in my chair, I took out the assigned textbooks, and waited for attendance.

I don't understand why they do attendance on the last day of school, because a lot of people skip it, it's not like we get anything productive done, we just recite things and read assignments we were to do over the weekend, and get grades that don't account for anything in the long run.

Why the fuck do they end school on a Monday? I don't even know, they should skip it and have it end on the previous Friday, because it's just another day of hell, right?

As the teacher called out attendance, I heard my phone ring, it was my dad's patrol officer, and I was surely screwed.

I stood up, gathering a couple snickers, and everyone's eyes on me as I excused myself.

"Look, Eren's gotta call his mommy!" a few snickers went throughout the room, I just glared at them.

"Shut up!" I glanced over at the new voice, and saw, to my surprise, Jean. I nodded in thanks and made my way out of the classroom.

Picking up my phone, I answered the call, and brought it up to me ear, talking in a hushed tone so n one would accidentally hear.

"Yea."

"Okay."

"Thanks."

"Bye."

My dad's patrol officer would be coming back around five tonight, so I'd actually have time to get there. I was grateful to him, because he cut me some slack when it came to my dad. I just hoped I'd be able to stay with Armin when he saw my dad wasn't here anymore.

Sliding my back against the hallway walls, I curled up, hoping this day could just end already.

Someone came out of the classroom, it was Hanji, our teacher.

"Are you okay, Eren?"

"Hm?... No."

She gently sat down next to me, keeping to a surprisingly quiet voice, and she comforted me until I stopped shaking involuntarily.

"I can excuse you for the rest of the day, if you want." I smiled gratefully to her, and nodded.

"Thanks, that would be great."

"You're welcome, now go! Leave already!" I giggled a little at her sudden laughter, and I agreed, waving once more at her and then making my way out of the building. I texted Armin saying I would be at home, once he got out of school, and that I'd be with my dad's patrol officer.

Well, now I get to play hookie, and it felt great. I could feel the atmosphere of being free from that prison, and I almost wanted to yell out in happiness, but I kept it inside, although I was smiling looking like a complete idiot.

I decided to get packed up, knowing I'd be leaving to go somewhere no matter what happened. Walking home, it took about a good half hour, and I'd have some time to clear my mind while I walked. So that's what I did, I thought about how I could get dad's patrol officer to let me stay at Armin's, if only for the summer.

Playing some music, from a playlist that I must've created like.. When I got my phone three years ago? Yea, that's what I was doing.

Back at home, I unlocked the door with the spare key I kept under the rocks concealing the hidden garden I made as a kid. Smiling to myself at those memories, I took my shoes off and blasted some unknown music through the only speakers I have.

I decided on taking my only couple pairs of shirts and jeans, and my credit card, just in case. Looking back on it, I didn't keep many photos of anyone, probably only because I didn't have anyone to have photos of.

I've almost forgotten what my mom looked like, a lot like me, same hair color and same eyes, that's what people tell me. My dad had my hair, my face, but not anything like me. I never wanted to become my dad, ever.

I had one photo though, I remember so little about her, except her name, Mikasa. I took her in and cared for her when her parents went missing when she was six, I was around ten, a little younger. She always would look up to me as an older brother.

The only picture I had of her was her smiling at the park, a nature park, not a kid's swing set and shit. But she was so happy, that may have been the last time I could remember her being so happy, because a while after, she was informed of her parents' deaths.

Soon after, my life fell apart, my mom left, and Mikasa and I were forced to face my dad. I told her to go, to leave and maybe be safer, so she left. I had almost forgotten about her until now.

But here I was, finally being able to leave this place, maybe for the better or the worse. Anything was really better than living with my dad who beat me. Except my mom, maybe. I don't really know her, she could've gotten her life back together from the last time I saw her, or maybe not.

All I know was that a couple years ago, she was under high drug influence and wasn't capable of taking care of me. Then again, neither was my dad, but here I still was.

I had gotten all of my clothes packed, and my key. The key that I would give to Mikasa, if I ever saw her again, that is. My dad gave me this key as a birth present, and that was when my parents got along, we were still a happy family.

It doesn't go anywhere, I don't think, but it held a lot of resemblance that Mikasa would know of and she would appreciate it, even if she refused to accept it.

And thus, I wait for either my dad to come home, or his patrol officer to come, and I'd have to hold my best against him, hoping he'd understand and not let me go to my mom's 'wonderful care.'


	2. Chapter 2

So my dad's probation officer finally came, and hey look at that, my dad's still missing. He's probably out drinking in Vegas or something, he's been gone for a week now.

"I'm sorry, but we're going to have to relocate you unless you can come up with a legal guardian," I sweatdropped. "Or until your dad gets back- within three days."

"Can't I just stay at my friends like I already was? Just for the summer?"

"Fine. But just for the summer, I'll come get you after, just send me the address."

"Ah! Thank you so much!" I squealed, taking him into a giant hug, causing him to fall back on his seat, nearly falling over.

"He.. No problem kid, but if you don't come up with somebody by the end of the summer, I'm going to have to relocate you to a foster family." I sighed. Foster families could be nice, or they could be living hell.

"No matter! I'm sure I'll come up with someone soon?!"

"Okay then kid, I'll see you around, also- if you can tell me where your dad is once you get hold of him?"

"Yea, sure."

"Okay, bye then."

"Bye!" I waved him out hurriedly, while pulling out my phone to call Armin.

"Hello, Eren?"

"I can come!"

"Oh thank god! I was getting worried about what would happen."

"Soo.. Erm, could you possibly pick me up?"

"Sure thing bud, I'll be there in five."

"Okey!"

"It's nice to see you so happy again, Eren."

"Hmm, thanks, I guess?"

"Just.. Wait, I'll be right there."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

And with that, joy overcame my other fears, replacing my nervousness about finding someone to take care of me, although.. I'd be turning eighteen soon, so I could technically live on my own soon, right?

Making sure I had a photo of Mikasa, one of myself with both my parents when I was four, and my bag of clothes, I set everything down on the kitchen table, clutching my key in one hand, and holding my phone in the other.

I decided not to leave a note to my location, because if my dad did come home, he'd surely take me back, and let's not think about what he'd do then.

I faintly can remember who took Mikasa in, and I was hoping I could track her down soon, and see if her guardian was still treating her nicely. I also had a small part of me who hoped that Mikasa's guardian could also take me in, on a very slim chance though.

I heard a beep from outside, and I figured it was Armin, but when I looked out, there was a truck, fairly small and all painted black, with a raven poised at the drivers side.

I stepped out, and the driver called out to me. "Oi, brat, get in."

"Are you coming instead of Armin?" I called out.

"Yea, so get your stuff and get in the fucking truck."

"Okay, okay, fine sourpuss!" earning a scowl, I giggled and ran back into the house, gathering my belongings and running back out.

"Geez, you sure didn't bring a lot of stuff, did you now?"

"Nope, this is basically all I have."

"Well Armin figured out that much, so I'm stuck taking you shopping." the raven said. I studied his face more closely now, observing a studded silver and black lip and nose piercings, it suited him, from what I knew so far.

"I don't even know you, yet I'm getting in the car with you, hoping you aren't really a serial killer and not Armin's friend here to pick me up."

"Well, I guess you just got to trust me then, right?"

"Yea, right, I guess."

"Hey c'mon now kid, I'm only taking you to Armin's, you drop off your... stuff, then I take you shopping for some more appealing clothing." he said as he eyed my baggy sweatshirt, and I blushed, feeling embarrassed about what I was wearing now; I thought Armin was picking me up, so I still had my hoodie and sweatpants on.

"Sorry." I mumbled.

Instead of a response, the male just started to turn off of my driveway, well, my old driveway, and turned onto the back roads.

"I don't even know your name." I started, trying to break the silence.

"Neither do I yours, but I'm never going to see you again, so why does it really matter?"

"Then why are you picking me up for Armin?" I was genuinely confused now.

"Because I owe him, don't even ask."

"Fine."

We sat in silence once more, and I shifted often uncomfortably in my seat.

"Levi." the raven broke the silence this time.

"What?"

"My name, it's Levi."

"Cool, I like that name, Levi."

A small blush, barely visible but noticeable all the same, dusted across Levi's cheeks, going against his 'I don't give two shits' look.

And what did I do? I poked his cheek, that's what I did. In return, Levi grunted and smacked my hand away, leaving me in a rejected pile of Eren.

I realized I never introduced myself to him, so I started to talk again. "I'm Er-"

"I don't really care."

"Oh, of course you don't."

"What's that supposed to mean." Levi said, almost stating it to me instead of asking.

"Oh... Nothing, Leeevi."

"I already knew that I would regret this.' he muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" I said quizzically, raising one eyebrow and pouting slightly.

"Tch, 'nothing'." he said, quoting my gesture from before.

"Hmph." I was defeated, he was so much better at that appearance than I was, so I just gave up, keeping to my silly Eren self.

"We're here, Eren."

"How d-did you know my name?" I said, my eyes wide in shock, he just smirked and threw me out. Oh, Armin must've told him, how could I have been so stupid.

Mentally facepalming, I just started to unload my bags, bag, and knocked on Armin's door, and was greeted by the almighty, horse face.

"Ugh, can't Armin just answer the door?"

"No." Jean said deadpanning, and I just pushed him aside as I hauled my suitcase, if you could call it that, inside.

"Eren!"

"Hi Armin, see you've kept horsie here around." We all knew why Armin had Jean over, but I ignored it and continued to pick on him, in a friend off and on again relationship way.

"I take offense in you calling me a horsie."

"Okay, I'll take a note of that, _horsie_." I grinned and started going upstairs to where I'd be staying; I'm sure Jean would be at least a little jealous that I'd be staying in Armin's room the whole summer, if only a little.

"Well, see ya, horsie!" Jean just rolled his eyes, while Armin giggled a little, enjoying us bickering.

Once I was in Armin's room- our room- I laid my bags on the floor and looked around for a good spot to claim mine. I saw a little desk at the corner, abandoned, and thought I could use that for.. I don't know, stuff.

Deciding I could just unpack tomorrow, I laid down on the floor, spreading my arms out in an snow angel manner, and sighed, looking at all the posters that Armin and I put up on the ceiling as kids. How we managed to reach up there, don't ask me, although it did involve at least two injuries or so.

Not that we were very rowdy kids, we did cause a bit of trouble. As in, making 'a healthy energy drink' and ending up exploding the whole thing and having it covering the walls, making the whole kitchen smell for months.

Well, now I guess that we can make even more of a mess.

I haven't actually been over to Armin's overnight since we were 13, only because of my family issues, my dad didn't allow me to leave the house overnight. He didn't even want me to go out at all, so I had to sneak out, hope I didn't get caught, I always did though.

"Hey buddy." I looked to my side to see Armin laying on the floor next to me, copying my pose. I laugh a little and wrap my hand around Armin's neck, feeling the cool air coming from the cracked window across from us.

"I missed this." I sighed, and looked over to Armin once more, then returning my gaze to the ceiling.

"Yea, me too." I heard Armin laugh a little. "We're still down here, just like when we were kids."

We always were like this, we sat together, we played together, we were basically friends since forever. When we were kids, we sat like this, on this floor, looking up at the posters and flyers on the ceiling.

 


	3. Chapter 3

I put out a card, and sighed, motioning to Jean that it's his turn.

We were playing cards, I know, stupid, but it was Armin's idea after we ordered pizza. Holding a slice of pepperoni pizza in my left hand, and a hand of cards in my right, I took a bite out of my now half cold pizza.

Jean rolled the die, shrugged, and threw a couple cards in the pot. (btw, this isn't a real game, I'm just moderating it for my uses)

Armin, giggled while looking at his cards, and Jean peeked over his shoulder without him noticing, and his mouth dropped open. I just laughed lightly, wondering what was so funny. I just assumed that Armin had a good deck, and was going to beat our asses.

Once we were done, it ended up that Armin won with four aces, Jean headed home, and we actually didn't get in a fight for once, and I was lying on the floor next to Armin's bed, like a sleepover. I'd be sleeping like this for about a week until we could get a better area for me to sleep.

Not arguing, but the ground is fucking hard and gives your back pains _everywhere_.

But for now, we just pretended it was a sleepover.

When I woke up, I heard a loud banging on the front door, and some mild shouting. I turned over to see Armin still sound asleep, it's funny how much he could just sleep right through.

Sighing, I attempted to stand up, but my legs were so cramped from the night before, that I just ended up falling back down to my sleeping mat. I tried to rub my muscles back to life, after being isolated from blood circulation all night.

I slipped on a shirt and kept my boxers on, because we're all lazy, admit it. Trying not to wake Armin up, although he wouldn't wake up if there was a nuclear bomb, well maybe he would, but you get the idea.

I opened the door and was greeted by a... women screaming. Not maniacally, but just.. weird, I guess? She had crazy red hair, big ass glasses, and a loud as fuck voice.

"Just shut up!" she immediately quieted down. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Hanji!!" I cringed, she was killing my precious ears.

"I'm Eren."

"You're sooo cute!!!" I blushed.

"T-thanks?"

"Is Armin here?"

"Yea, w-why?"

"Ohh... No reason." Hanji said, gazing past me and then pushing me aside, I threw up my hands in defense.

"Okaaayy.."

I followed her in, and I saw Armin sitting up in his bed, talking in a hushed whisper to Hanji. I guess I shouldn't interrupt, so I made my way back to the kitchen, but not before catching a few strings of what they were saying.

"Yea.."

"Seven."

"Okay."

"Bring him along too."

"Okay."

"Take care."

 "Bye."

I quickly ran back out so they wouldn't catch me eavesdropping, and grabbed a magazine.

Hanji walked over to me and flipped the magazine right-side up in my hands, making me blush and slump down more on the couch.

"Don't worry about it."

Armin walked in after her, yawning while stretching, making his small tank rise up on his chest. His blond hair was slightly matted, slightly covering his eyes, ending in a short cut. (Sorry no mushroom, and Armin is slightly stronger in this fic, but he's still the nerd we all know)

He slipped on his reading glasses and took the magazine out of my hands, making me cry out in protest. He nodded then handed it back to me.

"I didn't know you liked the Food Network."

"I-I! I don't!"

"Good excuse though.." Armin hummed and started to chuckle.

"Whatever." I said, rolling my eyes and putting the magazine back down.

I stood up and joined Armin at the table, grabbing a mug to make a coffee.

"So who was that lady?"

"Hmm? No one." Armin said curtly.

"Fine, I guess it's none of my business."

"Just drink your damn coffee."

I chuckled, and nodded, lifting my now hot coffee up and took a sip.

"Ah! Fuck! That's hot!"

"No shit."

I rolled my eyes again, and hummed as I attempted to take another sip, but burned my tongue.

Eventually, Jean came along, again, and we went out to the mall, Jean's idea, I had a better one, but it was not so kindly rejected. I slipped on a black hoodie, and a pair of black vans. I grabbed my wallet, well what you could call whatever I had. I only had a ten dollar bill in it, a broken down brown leather wallet that my mother had given me when I was seven.

I liked to think that she was getting better, maybe in rehab, or being watched often. I also didn't really care for my dad anymore, because he never treated me like a son, just an object.

Jean whistled, bringing me back into the present, and waved his hands in front of my face.

"Hulloo! Earth to Eren!"

"Geez, I can hear you, you shit."

"Yea, whatever." I said, rolling my eyes at him, earning a giggle from Armin. We both glared at him in synchronized timing, making Armin laugh even more, and causing us to frown.

"You guys act like complete brother's!"

"No we don't!" we both said at the same time, looking at each other and then we both broke down laughing.

"Well, we should get going." I said.

"Yea, you ready Jean?"

"Yup."

We all headed out the door and I made sure to lock it, and we all jumped into Jean's car.

Once we rounded the mall, it was fucking packed. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'the mall's always crowded' but this was... a mob, a literal mob. There were thousands of cars jammed into parking spots, and even along the sides of the roads.

"Ugh.. Just forget it, we can go get ice cream." Jean said, and we all agreed, afraid we'd be boxed in, or even worse, not able to get a parking spot for hours.

So we drove a bit farther to the nearest and not crappy ice cream place. There were outdoor and indoor seating.

The outside was painted faded yellow, with greenish trim along the top and bottom, along with a green roof. The red flag indicating that it was open was out, and there was plenty of parking spots, thankfully.

There were rusted metal benches along the sides of the building, dripping with melted ice cream. The outdoor seats were the same, a little cleaner, but still filthy.

So we chose indoor seating, and I ordered an ice cream sundae with shortcake pieces under the scoops of ice cream. Armin and Jean both got mint with oreos in it. It did look tempting, but I'd have to stick with my ice cream sundae.

I observed how both Armin and Jean 'flirted' and how they'd laugh at jokes that made no sense, but I guess when you're in love, everything seems better and jokes that are horrible seem somewhat funny.

But how would I know, I've never felt loved before, let alone been in love. Actually, I've never really dated anyone before, so I didn't know how it was supposed to work.

But I should be taking notes on this, because it was obvious that Armin and Jean were in love, although neither of them would say it.

I took another scoop of my ice cream, while I was a very fast eater, I'd almost eaten all of it, while we've only been here six minutes. Jean was a slow eater, he had only taken one bite so far, while Armin had had about seven.

I'm realizing I have no life, thinking about how fast people eat should tell me that I'm hopeless.

But here I am, with my best friend, eating ice cream, watching myself being thrown aside like a third wheel between the 'couple'.

I finished my ice cream as it turned three in the afternoon. I pulled out my phone and saw a couple texts from my mom, and one from my dad. I clicked on the one from my dad first.

'I'm going back home to Germany, I want you to come with me, I'm leaving in a week.'

There was no way in hell that I was coming back to him, let alone going back to Germany, he was probably going to run into Mom and then shit would happen. I didn't respond to that message, I also figured I'd sell my old house, because now no one would be living in it.

I glanced at the texts from my mom, then at all the missed calls from her, exactly 216, and decided to at least check her voicemails.

I just stood up from my seat and walked outside, leaving Armin slightly confused, but then he just returned to eating his ice cream, knowing that I'd tell him anything important. He'd also ask later.

I clicked on the first one. 'Hey, it's your mom, remember me? Probably not. You're probably still mad at me, and your dad. I'm still mad at your dad, but I'm getting re-married soon.' So that's why she decided to fucking contact me after all these years? Because she's getting married?

'If you get this, call me back.'

'Hey, did you get a new phone number? If you didn't and you're hearing this, you're invited to come to my wedding, and I want you to meet him.'

'I'm going to send you one of these each day, until you call me back, okay?'

'Eren, I could pay for you to fly to Germany, I could pay for all the flight expenses.'

'I miss you.'

'I'm off drugs now, so please come back.'

'I've been sober for over two years, Eren.'

'I still love you.' Fuck this, I couldn't take anymore of this bull shit.

I shoved my phone, quite violently, back into my jean pocket and returned to the table with a scowl on my face.

"What's wrong, Eren?"

"Nothing."

"There's got to be something, you look mad."

"Oh do I?" I said, erasing the scowl that I didn't know I had on my face and replacing it with a forced smile.

"Well, we'll talk later then."

"Fine."

Jean had stayed silent this whole time, just looking at both of us, taking in the situation.

"Er-"

"I'm not in the mood to talk, horse face." I didn't insult Jean often anymore with the horse jokes, so he looked surprised at my outburst, although he never forgot about how I had a short temper.

Instead of trying to pry more, he just dropped the topic. "So, Eren, where are you looking to go to college?"

"I don't know, I'm probably not going to at this point, I need to catch up on my dad's expenses, and all the financial problems."

"Oh, we could always help you with some of that, I could give you some of my paycheck."

"Thanks, but I don't want your help, I'm not really worth that trouble."

"Eren." Armin spoke up, I turned my head to him.

"What." I said, a little too sharply, making me flinch.

"Can I talk to you at home?"

"Fine. Let's leave now."

"Fine."

I threw my trash along with the other's in the trash, and I plopped into Jean's car, shutting the door a little too hard.

Jean sat down in the driver's seat and kept a surprisingly calm face. I saw him whispering something to Armin, making his face soften and then Armin joined us, sitting in shotgun.

We drove home in silence, and after a couple minutes, Jean turned on the radio.

"Shut it off, horse face!" he immediately shut it off, without giving me an eye roll. He knew I was mad, and he didn't interfere anymore than he normally would.

Once we got back to Armin's, I rushed out and slammed the car door shut, making Armin start to protest, but Jean stopped him, oddly.

Armin rushed in after me soon after, and from my little ball of Eren in our room, I heard him come in. I guess he didn't need to knock, it was his room after all.

"What got into you, Eren?"

"Nothing."

"Tell me"

I didn't respond.

"You're my best friend, I deserve the right to know what's going on!"

"Fine, you want to know? My 'mom' is fucking getting married to another guy I don't even know! She wants me to come to her wedding! My dad left for Germany again, and he wants me to move with him! Why the hell would he want me back?! To torture? To sell over and over again?! To beat!? To use as an object?! To take me away from my best friend? Also, if I don't find a legal guardian by the end of the summer, then I'm either going to a foster home, or going on the streets!"

Armin stayed silent, but nodded, taking in all the information. He sat down next to me, and I leaned into him.

"And I think now it's my turn to ask questions." I said, slightly grinning at what I was going to do.

"Shoot."

"Do you love anyone?"

Armin hesitated, then replied, "Yea, I think so."

"Jean?"

"U-uhh.."

I smiled, and shoved his shoulder in a playful manner. "Of course you do! It's obvious!"

"H-how long have you known?" he said sheepishly.

"Uhh, like forever!"

"And your okay with it?"

"Well, I'm not fond of Jean, but I'm okay with it."

"T-thanks."

"Now go out there and be a couple!" I said, my previous mad state gone.

"Okay, okay, fine."

I slap him on the back gently and he runs out, looking back towards me.

"Everything's going to be fine."

"Thanks." I knew what he mean, and I'm sure it would turn out just fine.


	4. Chapter 4

A cold hand wrapped around my mouth, gagging me. I screamed out in fear.

I almost jumped out of my bed, why had that memory come back up, was all that was going through my head.

I looked around, recomposing myself, and got out of bed, knowing I'd get no more sleep tonight. I headed for the kitchen, preparing what you'd call a midnight snack.

I poured the chocolate chips over the piece of bread and shoved whipped cream in the spaces, making a... Chocolate sandwich.

I bit into it, this was going to give me cavities but I don't care, and some of the whipped cream poured out, smearing itself between my hands and the bread slices.

Armin walked in, rubbing his eyes behind me.

"Eren? Are you maki- Oh my god stop eating that you'll get sick!"

I laughed, but kept biting into my makeshift sandwich, it was an odd combination, but it worked, oddly.

Armin had to pull it out of my mouth, leaving half of what I had bitten down on still in my mouth, and I continued to chew on the chocolate, grinding it between my teeth.

"God, Eren, I'm surprised you don't have a million cavities already, by the way you eat."

"Well, I guess I just have perfect teeth, I don't remember getting one cavity yet!"

"You've hardly even been to the dentist." Armin said, I just laughed.

"And that's the way it's going to stay, now can I have my sandwich back?" Armin shrugged, and started to run off with my glorious and sugar packed 'sandwich'.

I ran after him, chasing him around the house in loops and circles, laughing my ass off.

"Come back here!"

What horrified me was what Armin did next. He took the sandwich and bit into it, humming loudly and then he started to fake gag.

"God, Eren! How much sugar did you put in this!" I shrugged and continued to grin sheepishly, while Armin was still recovering from near death by sugar. "Now I know why you are always so perky!"

"That's not true!"

"Yes it is."

We continued to argue like this until we had both calmed down, and then Armin headed back to sleep.

I turned on the TV, flipping through the boring ass shows playing at this time. Nothing much, just a bunch of lame comedies. I found the science channel, and although I hate science, I stayed on it because it was playing a commentary from the Cold War.

Eventually, I fell asleep, the loud TV still playing in the background.

* * *

 

The door rattled, and then it opened to reveal a man, about 5' 3", with a black raven hair undercut, and silver eyes. He stepped into the house, looked over to the sleeping Eren on the couch, and went into another room, stepping quietly.

He talked with Armin in hushed whispers for over a half hour, and then got up to go to the closet once he was done talking. He grabbed a couple blankets, and he laid them on Eren's huddled up figure on the couch, humming softly to himself.

He made his way back out, and locked the door.

* * *

I woke up, feeling hot, and saw that I had a blanket wrapped around my sleeping body, with my feet sticking out.

Armin was drinking some coffee and flipping through his phone on one of the kitchen seats, and biting into the cookie in his hand. My eyes immediately opened up, smelling freshly baked cookies, Armin's were the best.

"Hello, good to see you're awake, you sure do sleep like a rock."

"Owowoowow! Urg, my back hurts."

"Well, you did fall asleep on the hard ass couch, dummy." Armin laughed happily and took another bite of his cookie.

I happened to glance over at the clock, and squeaked out a surprised yelp.

"How did I sleep in so late?!"

"Told you, you sleep like a rock."

"Did you even try waking me up?"

Armin stayed silent, pondering on the thought, "Nope."

"Ugh, you're so nice."

"Did you really mean that? Because I would've thought you would like to sleep in a bit."

"Did you even plan on waking me up?"

"Maybe in a couple hours."

"But it's already noon!" I sqeaked, my voice cracking, and I cleared my throat.

"Pubescent Eren is the best Eren." Armin said, making me growl.

"Not funny!"

"Oh, but it is."

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, snatching the cookie out of Armin's hand before he could finish it and I ate the last bite.

"Hey! You know I had a batch in the oven!"

"Oh well, guess you're going to have to get another one."

This time, Armin rolled his eyes.

"So when did you get the blanket? I haven't seen you use that since we were kids."

"I thought you did!"

"Hm.. That's weird, Le-" Armin stopped and looked at me. "He wouldn't usually do something like that."

"Levi? The guy that picked me up the day that I moved in here?" I asked, needing more answers to what was going on, it was like Armin was always hiding something since I had come at the beginning of the summer.

"Umm, yea."

"He said he.. owed you, what did he mean by that?"

"Nothing." Armin said quickly, indicating that this conversation was already over.

"I need to know! I basically live here, and I want to think I have the right to know what's going on!" I continued to pry, because I'm stubborn.

"Hanji's coming over later, why don't you ask her."

"She's going to say the same thing as you."

"Maybe, maybe not. It's not really for me to tell you, you'd have to ask her."

I grumbled in defeat, Hanji had been coming over Armin's a lot lately, and it looks like Jean knows a bit on what's going on, but I'm still in the dark.

It wasn't fair, I had known Armin for a lot longer than Jean, but now because they were 'dating', I wasn't told upright, and I was stuck here, completely clueless. But then again, when is life fair? Right, never.

A few hours later, I made my way to Armin's backyard, maybe to get some fresh air.

As I stepped out, my skin started, almost immediately, to sweat. I had forgotten how hot the summers are here.

"God, it's hot." I said subconsciously.

"No shit."

I jumped, and turned around to see the same guy who had 'owed' Armin, and I almost yelped out in fear, with my hands in front of me, frozen in place.

"Hanji's here, but she's talking with Armin."

"What's with all you people."

"All you people?" he said in a mocking tone, but I just nodded.

"Yea, why are you all keeping something from me? I know everyone else knows, so why not me?"

"Can't tell you, brat."

"Why not."

"I just can't" he snapped, and I backed away.

"Well then, when did you get here?"

"Just now, Hanji brought some lemonade, want some?"

"Sure."

Instead of replying, he just turned on his heels, and walked back inside. He was wearing a white shirt, with buttons going all down the middle, with a towel looking thing around his neck, and a black jacket draped across his shoulders.

I followed him in, assuming he'd be getting me some lemonade.

He opened up one of the cabinets, holding the cups, and I saw him reach up on his tiptoes, struggling to reach anything. I giggled quietly, but I guess he heard me, because he turned to me with the most deadly glare, making me put on my best poker face, although I was turning red from lack of laughing. Because that can happen.

"Damn brat."

He had gotten a cup down, and poured some lemonade from the pitcher that was on the counter, and handed it to me. I quickly thanked him and took a sip.

"Eren!" I knew it was Hanji, but I turned to look anyway. I was instead greeted by a big bear hug, almost preventing my lungs to keep working proporly. I could hear Levi slightly chuckling behind me, and I stuck my middle finger up at him, but he didn't shut up.

"I haven't seen you in forever!"

"You saw me two days ago!" I said, mimicking her tone of voice, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Same thing!"

"So I want to ask you a few things.. About what's going on." I said, glancing around, uncertain all of a sudden.

"Oh... Levi, what do you think?"

We both turned to Levi, who kept his same uninterested face on.

"I don't think we should- yet."

I opened my mouth to protest, but the look on Levi's face made me stop.

"Fine, can I at least get your last names then?"

"Zoe."

"No way in hell."

"Ackerman!" Hanji chimed in, and I tensed up at the sound of the name.

"D-do you... by any chance... know a Mikasa Ackerman?" 

It all came back to me now, Mikasa was taken in by a women with the last name of Ackerman. But was Levi related to her?

"Yes."

"Do you know where she is?" I started to get desperate.

"..." Levi looked at me, then at Hanji next to me. "Sorry kid."

I knew he was hesitant, but for what reason, I had no idea. But I threw it aside, happy enough knowing that Mikasa was still alive, I hoped she was safe, but I didn't bring it up.

Instead, they both left a couple minutes after, and I was waving them goodbye, Levi was driving, while Hanji was waving back at us like a maniac, I was doubting that she was sane at all day by day.

I turned back into the house, they had forgotten their lemonade, oh well, I'd have to return it to them.


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh."

"Okay, bye."

"To hell with you."

I furrowed my brows and sighed, turning my phone off. My dad had called, and he is in jail again, and he wants me to bail him out. Of course I don't the right amount of funds to be able to do that, nor will I even fly to Germany just to fucking get him out of jail, again.

Instead, I just plopped my head down on the kitchen table, repeatedly slamming it up and down, groaning.

Hanji would be coming back in a couple hours, and Armin is still out with Jean. It was made pretty clear that last time I wouldn't be getting any answers any time soon, so I'd have to wait it out and see what happens.

I picked up the TV remote, nothing on, as usual. I flopped on the couch, like a belly flop with my hands by my sides, and my face meeting the rough couch materials.

I fell asleep like that, I'm at least assuming that because I woke up in the same position, with someone repeatedly poking my cheek.

"Mph."

"Oh look, the brat's awake."

I shot up at the sound of Levi's voice, and was at full consciousness now.

"Is Armin here?" Hanji asked, looking around. I don't know when either of them got here, but I've been sleeping for over three hours.

"No."

"Well then I guess we'll wait." Levi said, making himself at home, sitting himself on one of the kitchen seats. He crossed on leg over another, so his ankle was resting on his knee, and with both his arms crossed.

"Umm.. Do you want anything to drink?" Hanji shook her head.

"Tea would be fine." Levi grunted.

I went up to boil the water, but I felt two eyes on me, and on turning around, I was greeted by two stormy eyes.

"Your eyes. What color are they?"

"Some people say they're blue, some say they're green, some say both."

"Hmm.."

I quickly shuffled away and filled the kettle.

"So what's Armin having you do, brat?"

"Nothing."

"So he just gives you a place to stay, and he doesn't make you do anything to help?"

"Basically." I replied with a curt manner, and took out the tea bags. "Pick one." I showed Levi the box, and he took out a plain black tea.

"He said you needed a place to stay after the summer."

"Um, yea, that's right."

"Tch, you're so stubborn."

"S-sorry?" Levi ruffled my hair, making Hanji giggle from somewhere, and causing me to blush slightly.

"Stop apologizing, brat."

"Sor- okay."

I poured out the hot water and put the tea bag in, and another one for me. I set it in front of Levi, and he nodded in approval, grabbing the mug by the rim. I didn't even question it.

Armin came through the door a couple minutes later, wet and with a laughing Jean, I just scowled.

"Sorry I'm so late, we got caught up in a few things."

"No problem." I said, glaring at him.

"What's wrong?"

"You forced me to play housekeeper for these two! Especially him!" I said, pointing to a now put down Levi.

"What was that, kid?"

"N-nothing!" I squeaked out, afraid of my life now.

I quickly left the room, heading for the bathroom. I heard footstep following me though, and I turned around to see Levi, staring intently at something on my face.

"What do you want?" I questioned.

Instead of replying, Levi outstretched his hand and rubbed his thumb against one of my only visible scars across the left side of my chin. I flinched at the new feeling of a soft and caressing feeling, but then allowed him to continue.

He looked up at my eyes, and then his gaze drifted back down to my scar, and I started to feel subconscious.

"U-uhmm.."

"Sorry." Levi retracted his hand back to his side and glanced back up at me, then quickly left for the kitchen once more, leaving me all the more confused, but the sensation of him touching me still lingered.

I gasped at how much I realized I haven't felt wanted, let alone not shoved around for my whole life in so long, possibly since my parents had divorced, maybe even before that, when they had started to treat to my needs less and less.

I ran out of the room to find one of my bandages.

I heard Levi talking to Armin in a whisper, and I just put my hands up to my ears in defense, and made my way to my side of the room, pulling a med kit out of my drawer. I looked up to see Levi holding my gaze; he was leaning back on Armin's bed and had his legs straight out, which I had never seen him sit so casually before.

I ran back out to the bathroom, and slammed the door shut, and because there was no lock on the freaking bathroom doors, I slammed my foot up against the door instead, hoping someone wouldn't be strong enough to break the door open.

But nobody came after me, they stayed in Armin's room, and I put my foot down.

I took my shirt off and revealed all the hidden scars, they were healing, slowly. I took out the antiseptic and wiped all around where I had been cut over the years, and then grabbed the bandages, only to feel a hand, tracing my many scars, making me jump.

"S-sorry." I looked around and saw what I never thought would be possible. Levi was blushing and averting his gaze to the floor, then looking at his hands, and then back to something other than the human standing in front of him.

Scars aside, I had forgotten almost that he had seen them, and I was just in so much shock that I had seen Levi so defenseless now.

"I'll leave," Levi quickly turned around and stopped so abruptly at the doorframe I thought he'd fall over from the sudden loss of momentum. "Sorry."

"Look who's apologizing now; could you help me with something over here?" Levi glanced back over to me, and I held out the bandage, offering him to help wrap it around me.

I lifted one arm up, and he started to carefully wrap the bandage around my bicep, without one glance at my face, he kept looking at my cuts.

I had never thought so much about them, I'd just accepted them at some point, and now I felt different, like people would actually care maybe, or that people would throw me around even more, knowing that these lines scarred my body. But Levi didn't seem to think so, he didn't make fun of them, like I thought he would. I smiled to myself.

After he was done, I thanked him and pulled my shirt back on, not noticing how his gaze still lingered on me, and we left to meet up with Hanji and Armin.

"Wouldn't he look great with a piercing... right there!" Hanji almost screamed out to us, holding Armin up and pointing to his ears. "An upper lobe piercing.. And a helix!!!" We both flinched, because we knew that Hanji was implying that she'd do it.

She actually was a good piercer, but you'd have to have a _lot_ of faith in her. She glanced towards me, then made her frantic way to inspect my face.

"And for Eren-"

"No way in hell are you going to puncture my beautiful skin." I heard Armin snickering from behind Hanji, and I glared at him.

"He'd look good with a snakebite piercing, and maybe a nose piercing.. here." Levi said, poking my nose, making me stiffen up.

"Noooo!"

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Armin said, I just don't understand how he could trust Hanji so much.

Although I protested, here I was in the horrible seat, awaiting my fate from crazy eyes.

"Ugg, I already regret this.." I groaned, and someone replied, shocking me.

"Well, after a bit of arguing, Hanji is going to let me do it instead."

"Just don't kill me.. please?" I chuckled, knowing I'd be killed by a cold shorty before Hanji could get to me.

The raven hovered in front of me and cleaned the area around where I'd be getting a piercing, I refused to get a nose piercing, so we just stuck with a helix and a snakebite.

I almost cringed up when I felt the gun being placed by my ear, but it wasn't so bad afterwards.

"Done, see it didn't hurt." I looked up to see Levi had already done both piercings already, and I heaved out. "Hanji said she's treating you and Armin to ice cream."

"Cool, are you coming?"

"No."

"Okay."

Levi almost kicked me out of the chair, literally, but I managed to walk out to the front to see what he'd done, and it wasn't all that bad. There were small balls of metal laced around my bottom lip on both sides, and then a couple more on the tips of my ears.

"Okay, so wash out your piercings every night, and you have to keep them in for about six weeks, and, um.. No kissing." I blushed as Levi managed to say the last part. "Hanji made me say that."

"Ah, that makes sense though," I glanced down at my lap. "Not like I've ever been kissed before." I mumbled out, quiet enough that I thought Levi couldn't hear me, and If he had, he ignored it and left.

When Armin and Hanji saw me, they screamed, well one of them did, and Armin patted my back and made fun of how 'cool' I looked now.

"Well, we best get going if we want to get there before it closes."

Right, we were going out to get ice cream. I didn't really want to go, I guess I just wasn't in the mood to have any, so I excused myself to go back home, and Hanji reluctantly agreed.

So I was walking home now, and it had started to rain, of fucking course, my luck would just have to have this happen. I pulled up my non-existent hoodie, actually, I just wrapped my hands together and put them over my head, causing my arms to get soaked.

I heard a horn blearing against the cold and quiet silence of rain falling that I had grown used to. I looked up and saw Levi leaning out ready to shout at me to get in, but I beat him to it.

He opened the door for me, so I assumed I was supposed to get in, because if he didn't do that for that reason, then I was fucking screwed.

I hopped in and took of my coat, so I wouldn't get his car soaked, and he nodded in thanks. Sure, Hanji had made him out to be a clean freak, but this... This was clean.

Basically, I had grown up in filth, so I had never really seen anything at all this clean before, I never cleaned anything because I never saw anything wrong with it, I was used to it.

I was used to being thrown around in the filth and having to live in it, so I saw nothing wrong with my living style, and now I feel bad for Levi when he's around Armin's because I don't make a point of cleaning it.

"You're going to get sick."

"Probably."

"Knowing you, you'd always be this stupid to walk in the rain."

"Sorry."

"Tch, stop apologizing."

"Sorry. Shit."

Levi chuckled a little and started to turn into the last street, nearing Armin's house sooner and sooner.

"Well, here's your stop, go warm up."

I nodded, and hopped out of his car, thanking him once more and running to the shelter of the heat source in the house.

I turned around and waved at him, and of course he didn't return it but I know he saw it.

My bandages had gotten wet, and some of my cuts had reopened and I didn't have any more bandages left, so I'd have to go out.

I picked out another dry coat and ran outside with a ten dollar bill in hand, well I shoved it in my pant pocket. Shit, I had forgotten to write a note to Armin so he'd know where I was, and so he didn't send out a full on search and rescue mission.

I ran back in the house and grabbed a pad of paper and wrote some shit on it.

* * *

 

I knew I was sick the moment I threw up on the floor. I didn't usually get affected by rain, or cold, or even idiots sneezing and coughing everywhere. I didn't get sick often, but when I did, it came in hard. (liek a wrekin ball)

The last time I had actually came down with a flu was when I was thirteen, and I stayed home from school for almost a week, causing me to fall way behind in school, but managed to keep up because Armin helped.

I didn't know what this was, it was probably just a GI bug, but I stayed with my face in the toilet for a good hour or so. I shivered and went back to the kitchen to take back the note, because I would have to stay home.

I threw myself onto the couch, facing the blank TV, not bothering to turn it on. Memories flooded my head of all the times my head had felt dizzy like this before, all the times I had felt much pain.

Everyday, I would be left light headed, ready to collapse, and bleeding open everywhere. I had such a long time until my dad would leave, and my mom had no idea what was going on right under her nose, unless she did know.

I had gotten cut so many times, and I reached up to touch the one scar everyone had made fun of while I was a kid. Now, everyone knows about me, and my scar, and they just either ignore me or pick on me some more, but for no real point. They didn't have a topic, they just called me things no kid in grade school should hear.

I eventually grew on them, and accepted them with every other imperfection in my life that came with me. Except the scar that lingered on my chin, it stayed there since I had gotten it back before my parents even got a divorce, and it still hadn't fully healed yet.

None of my scars had healed yet.

 


	6. Chapter 6

"Eren! I brought some extra bandages for you." Levi looked around once he unlocked the door after waiting for an answer for twenty minutes. It was either Eren was ignoring him or they were still out eating, most likely the latter, and he dried himself off.

It was still raining out, and Levi wasn't one to tramp mud and dirt around a house, lest it be his own or a strangers, unless he hated that person. He called out to Eren again, seeing signs that he was home, but neither did he or Armin come out to meet him.

Levi walked farther in, and heard noises from the bathroom. Eren was hunched over the toilet, his face was white and devoid of any life or color, and god knows how long he's been there.

"Eren!" Levi ran over to Eren and crouched down next to him. He pulled out his phone and called Hanji, still not knowing where Armin was.

"Leeevi!"

"You have to come over to Eren's. Now."

There was a serious tone being carried out now, and Hanji had dropped the shit and had immediately rushed over to Eren's, bringing Armin along with her.

Meanwhile, Levi took Eren into his bed once he had stopped for the time, and he went to get a cold cloth.

He ran back into Eren's room and put his hand across Eren's forehead, surprisingly there was no heat coming from it, but he laid the wet cloth over his temple either way.

* * *

Good god, Eren, please be alright. I looked down at him, I had put him on top of his bed, well I put him on Armin's, because it looked a hella lot more comfortable, and I didn't really think Armin would mind that much.

But if he did, I'd force him to let Eren sleep there overnight, I don't care if I sound crazy. I hated the brat, but I did care in the least, and now, I had forgotten the fact that I'm not supposed to be nice, I was only seeing Eren now, and nobody else was in the world. Eren's face was pale, it scared me how affected he was just by running in the rain, usually you wouldn't really throw up because of it.

I hoped it would just pass, maybe he'd get better soon and it was just something he had eaten, right?

A loud banging at the door snapped me out of my thoughts, and I took one more look down to Eren.

"L-levi?"

"Shhh.. Don't talk, I'll be right back."

I ran up to get the door for whom I assumed would be Hanji, not some crazy murderer, because the chances of that.. Well you get the point.

Hanji had never gotten a key here, probably because she was crazy, and she'd take Eren away somewhere out of the country without telling anyone, but that was the normal.

"Where's Eren?" I saw Armin speak up behind Hanji, and he rushed in.

"Your guys' room."

Armin rushed in and sat down next to a now unconscious Eren.

"What the hell did you do to him!?" he shrieked, making me wince.

"Tch, I didn't do anything, he was throwing up when I got here."

"Why were you even here in the first place?" Hanji peeped behind us, and we both turned to her.

"It was nothing."

I was almost sure that Armin knew about Eren's cuts, but I didn't know if Eren would've wanted me to tell Hanji, who would tell everyone else she knew, so that means everyone in the school, even if she didn't mean to, it would eventually come out.

"I'll leave now, come on Hanji." I motioned for her to follow, and reluctantly she did, still looking over her shoulder a couple times back at Eren.

* * *

A white cloth was repeatedly replaced over his forehead, and he hasn't woken up fully yet since that day. It's been six days, but he does get up periodically and we feed him, and give him fluids.

Then he goes back to sleep, usually for a couple days, then the process repeats.

Neither Hanji or Levi had visited since, but I'm grateful that Levi was there when he could help, even though I still don't know why.

Jean visits, not often, but at least every three days. He does seem slightly worried about Eren, even though the two fight all the time, they've never gotten along, but they were still close, in a way.

When Jean had gotten in the accident and was put in hospital for a week, Eren came every other day, and accompanied me with him. I hadn't come out to him then, and we were still just friends, but I'm so glad that Eren was okay with our relationship, and that he didn't often interfere. Sure, he was a major dick to Jean, but he didn't really try to break us up at all, nor did he attempt to join us on all of our dates, which would've actually helped my nervousness around Jean.

Although I've known him since grade school, I had always liked him, and I couldn't stand being around him for too long because he made my mind go everywhere.

I knew that Eren's dad would be coming along here in a couple days, and I just silently prayed that he would wake up before then, or that Levi could help cover for me.

I know that Levi doesn't like it here, and I can't tell why, but he had stopped coming a while back, even when Hanji comes, he doesn't.

Sometimes Hanji would tell me that he said for Eren to get better soon, and that he's just busy, but I highly doubt that that was the real reason, like sure, he had a lot of work to do, and so did I, but I was falling back and Hanji promised us that she'd take care of all of it.

I had met Eren's dad once before, and he didn't seem to pleased in the idea of him staying over my house for even a minute, so Eren snuck out at night, or during school to get to my place.

I was homeschooled through second grade and eighth, so Eren had always neglected his work to come see me, and my parents had died earlier on, so I was alone.

No one, not surprisingly, had come to find him when he'd go missing for a couple days, or when he would stay over my house the night, and I knew that he was good with that, and he would do anything he wanted, as long as nobody cared.

We pulled a lot of all-nighters as kids, and nobody cared, so we continued to make a mess of our lives, until Mikasa was adopted, and then we started to act more seriously.

But now, his dad was coming and he was still unconscious, I didn't know how he'd respond, with a hello, or a kick, or more beatings.

I had noticed over the weeks that Levi had grown more friendly with Eren, he had found out about his scars, because he had to have noticed the one his dad had given him when he was a kid, the only visible one, that is.

It wasn't that noticeable, but Levi seemed like somebody who noticed a slight change in mood, and he seemed to notice smaller details that everyone missed, although many people made fun of Eren when he was younger about that scar.

His dad had given it to him from the wax, the dried blood and alcohol, and all those flames. They had dried to him, and pulling it off tore off many pieces of skin, along with an unmistakable hatred for his dad from Eren. His dad wouldn't be someone you'd give a father of the year award.

And Mikasa, she had let us all down. But I haven't gotten the guts to tell Eren yet, but when Levi was questioned, he had lied to him, to keep him happy and safe, but now it had caught up to him.

* * *

I rushed into the bathroom once more and shoved my face into the white porcelain bowl that I had grown accustomed to over the past week. Nothing I ate would stay down anymore, I could only attempt to eat so I wouldn't die of starvation, although I was always hungry.

Even though Levi never came over here anymore, I still clung to the fact that I knew he would come back, for I had heard him that night. He told me he'd be right back, and I still don't understand his definition of 'right back', but I was hoping it would be soon.

I don't know what state he had seen me in, but I know he helped me cool down, and now he had seen all my bleeding scars that had dried over. I knew he knew that I was out of bandage, so he had come back, because he was worried about me, or he didn't want me out in the rain any longer.

Guess his plan didn't work, but at night, I feel soft hands caressing my cheeks, and then someone wraps more bandage around my scars, and I always hope that it had been Levi.

Armin had taken up the couch while I was still bed sick, and I had always run a cold fever throughout the day, and Hanji would sometimes bring soup, or something with less digestive nutrients in it.

I was okay with just water, or even nothing for a while, but Armin had insisted that I eat, whether I puke it back up or not, because I can digest it a little and keep stronger while I try to get better.

The thing is, I don't know if I'm going to get better now, I've been in this state for more than eight days. But, while I'm unconscious, I feel warmth growing on my face, and I feel the presence of someone, I don't know who, but they're gentle to not wake me, and they always tend to my wounds and scars, so I crossed Hanji of.

Armin was in the other room, with Jean, and they were talking about something, but I was drifting back and forth from sleep. I had gotten better a while ago, I had gotten out of my unconscious state, but I still slept a lot, ate nothing, and had visited the bathroom more and more often.

Every time I rushed out of bed, Armin would perk up and stop whatever he was doing, and help me. Jean would sit there, watching TV to blast out the noises and he'd be acting as if nothing was wrong, probably because he hated me.

* * *

 

I looked up from my position on Armin's bed as I heard a familiar knock, one I had missed. I knew they had a key, but they knocked either way, letting us know that they were here.

I wanted to get up so badly to see Levi, and even Hanji is she was there with him, but this would be the first time Levi came during the day, with everyone knowing that is.

Instead of trying to get up, I stayed in bed, mainly because my legs wouldn't move, and I didn't want to cause more trouble than I already had.

I didn't hear any Hanji, all I heard was silence, and it made me shift uncomfortably in the sheets. I tried to sit up, but miserably failed and plopped back down, facing the ugly ceiling that had welcomed me every morning now.

I heard the door swing open, and I turned to look, painfully twisting my neck, making me twitch slightly.

Levi stood there, in a white shirt and a casual attire, looking directly at me.

"Hey." I started, tired of the shifting quietness going through this room constantly.

"Hey, brat."

I smiled, and turned to my side to face him, with my hand tucked under the pillow, and another holding my cramping stomach. But I didn't want to worry Levi, so I held it back for now.

A deathly silence entered once more, making Levi shift his weight to his other foot and then back again.

"So.."

"So.." Levi started over to the side of the bed, and he sat himself down on it, resting back on his palms, with his arms outstretched, making him look like a teenager. I tried to sit up to meet his eyes, but I had to stifle a groan as I felt muscles that hadn't been used forever being strained.

"Here," Levi pulled me up by the waist, holding my there while he rummaged through something behind me. "Lean back."

I did, and was welcomed by a pile of pillows, but I smiled at Levi, afraid he'd leave.

I was always afraid, of everything, of everyone, ever since my dad had popped back into every subject while talking to Armin.

I looked at Levi, he was facing the window, his face was illuminated by the sunlight streaming in, and he glanced back over to me. I quickly adverted my eyes somewhere, anywhere but him.

I don't know why I felt so nervous around him, I had never felt the need to find out though.

I looked back up at him, and he was still gazing at me, and our eyes locked for what seemed like a century, and I didn't want it to end.

"How is everything here?"

"It's good, Hanji brings food over occasionally, although its not like I'll be able to hold it down either way, and now you came again, although.." I said, my voice trailing off in the end, debating on whether I should tell him, and whether he'd laugh or keep serious.

"What."

"Well... Every night...." I fidgeted around, finding another position, and Levi shifted me until I was feeling better. "Someone always comes in to change my bandages, and I don't remember what else they do... But I always hoped that it was you."

"Why is that?"

"Because.. Well, I don't exactly know."

"Did it," Levi leaned in. "Feel something like this?" He placed his hand on my cheek, and stroked my chin, drifting higher to my lips with his thumb.

"U-uhh.." I blushed at the sudden contact, but I didn't stop it, and I didn't want it to stop.

He pulled back, leaning against his hands once more, and I just had to smile at him, but he smiled back this time.

My stomach lurched, and I quickly grabbed it and put another hand up to my mouth. Levi's eyes panicked, but he pulled me out of the sheets and rushed me into the bathroom.

 


	7. Chapter 7

I passed out soon after that, but I heard voices, screaming, shouting, and then silence.

I was starting to give up all hope that this was just a cold or something along those lines, this had been going on for way too long, and I'd never been affected my rain like this before. But Levi had given me extra hope that I'd get better, at least it was false hope if it was any hope at all.

I was still searching for a guardian that would take me in, because most people either already knew me, hated me, or didn't think I'd keep to myself and not make a damn mess everywhere. Some others just didn't have any time for a kid who couldn't manage to keep their grades up and stop flunking out of school.

I never cared much about my education, and I'm so close to calling it quits to figure out what I'd be doing, get my life situated, pay the massive amount of bills my dad was so kind as to leave behind, and then think about an education later.

I could always take online lessons, but they also took time, and time is exactly what I didn't have.

Although Armin said he'd happily take me in, I didn't want to be a burden to him, seeing that he'd have bills and food to pay for, even more if I was to stay here, and Jean was starting to get on my nerves more often because he basically lived here now.

I hated seeing them together so often, but I didn't want to interfere, as Armin thought so fondly of Jean, although I expected Jean to be with Marco too. I couldn't put any trust into anyone, except maybe Armin, or now Levi.

I had always gotten taken advantage of as a kid, and I still was being treated like that in school, but Levi acted towards me like an equal, and I appreciated that.

I had been asexual for a long time, only because I had no interest in trying to find someone, only to be stabbed again and again once I began to open up to them, and they'd surely laugh at my pitied state.

So I took no time to notice who was around me, who cared, and also who didn't. I had started to block out everyone long ago, and now their words don't hurt me like they used to anymore.

Levi knocked at the door, and I just grunted, the best of a 'come in' gesture that I could manage. But he had gotten the idea and made his way in, and sat down on the side of the bed once more.

He started to come regularly, checking up on me once in a while, making sure I was safe and getting better, but of course I wasn't getting any better.

"Hey." I had said in a rasp, because my throat was dry and it hurt from reproducing my food every hour or so in the bathroom.

"Do you want some water?" I nodded, and attempted a smile. Levi only shook his head and went up to get a cup from the kitchen.

We had thought about keeping a pitcher of water in here, but that idea was still on hold, sort of forgotten about.

I felt a cold breeze coming through the cracked open window above to the right of Armin's bedside. I shivered and pulled the blankets up, covering my neck with it, but it was still cold.

Levi came back and saw my huddled figure, snickered a bit but went to close the window anyways. He sat himself down on the bed again, and this time handed me a cold glass of water.

I quickly gulped it down, as best as I could, and it trickled down my throat soothing the irritating itch for now.

"T-thanks." I muttered out, looking back up to Levi perched on his folded hands, he was looking out the window at the night sky. "Pretty, isn't it?"

He looked back towards me. "Pretty."

I set the cup down on the table they had brought in next to the bed, and I snaked back down into the warmish blankets, still chilled.

"I'll be right back." I knew that this time he would indeed be back in a couple minutes, because he had no reason to leave.

He had come back with his jacket, and he set it on my back, making me shiver some more, but it eventually warmed me up, possibly in more than one way.

I was staring intently at the sky when one star pointed out from all the rest.

"Hey, look, that can be our star, Levi."

"Hmm?"

"That one." I said, pointing at it, and he nodded.

"It's nice."

He had become less depressing and had let up slightly on the brat and kid nicknames he'd give me, and he treated me with more care, I didn't know if it was out of pity, or because he was scared of breaking me, or something else entirely.

I couldn't be broken, that's for sure. I had been treated so badly over the past that words no longer effected my mind, they didn't register properly and I had sunk deep into them long before.

"I'm going to go to bed."

"All right, I'll stay here a while longer, so just call."

"M'kay... G'night."

"Goodnight, brat." he ruffled my hair and leaned back against the opposing wall facing me, and also looking out at the sky again.

* * *

Our star, it felt so right, to have something to finally share together.

I wished he would get better soon, and I would be able to stop acting so nice, but there was a slight possibility that I wasn't acting at all; maybe this brat had gotten to me more than I realized.

Son after I had found him first sick, he'd gotten slightly depressed, and I don't want to see anyone else like that being torn from their humanity.

Isabel, she was now dead because of the same reason, depression. She had jumped on her birthday, only because she couldn't take this hell anymore. I wanted to join her at one point, but I didn't.

I looked at Eren, and he was shivered up into a tight ball with my jacket lay on top of him, but he was still so cold.

So I did the most possible worst thing I could've done; I lay down next to him, setting my head in my interlocked fingers, looking up at the ceiling. He didn't seem to notice, since he was sound asleep, and even though he was a light sleeper, I was a lighter mover, so I made to not wake him or disturb him.

I rolled over to my side, facing the window, and gazed out looking at the star Eren had mentioned, and I felt something boil up inside of me that I had never felt before, the feeling of being appreciated and wanted, maybe not even that, but it made me content enough to accidently fall asleep.

I had been woken up by a screeching Eren, and I rolled back around to face him. His eyes were wide open and he backed away slowly as our eyes locked.

"U-uh. When did you get there?"

I looked over to the clock, seeing that I hadn't been asleep that long.

"Only a couple hours ago."

"Oh, um..." Eren's eyes drifted off, flicking over different things, settling on his hands that were placed on his lap.

"You were cold, so-"

"Oh! Okay, I guess t-that's fine, just don't do it again, okay?"

"Sure." I said with a hint of rejection in it, although for what reason, I wouldn't be able to place.

I still stared intently into the brat's eyes, and they were, despite his current condition in which anyone would think he'd be down, were shining blue, with an almost glittering like effect, swirling around in near the middle near the pupil were specks of green; they were beautiful.

 "S-so, um.."

"Oh sorry." I snapped out of my trance and sat up, getting off his bed.

"N-no! I mean you can still sit on it, your welcome to." I smiled.

"Okay, brat."

He punched me playfully in the shoulder, not making me fall back one bit, but I returned his gestures by flicking his forehead with my index finger, making him cry out, pulling his hands up in defense.

"Oh," we both looked up to see Armin standing at the doorframe. "You're both still up."

"Mhmm!" Eren had a bit too much pep for this time at night, but we both just ignored it.

"So Levi, I can take over from here, if you want."

"Thanks, but I'll stay here tonight, just in case something happens."

"Um.. Okay, just call if Eren needs anything, or you can find them by now, probably." Armin chuckled, looking over to Eren in his yawning state. This kid must be on drugs or something, one minute he's all talk, chirpy and full of energy, and then he's out in seconds. He had to have been tired after everything he's going through.

"Well, if you need anything, I'll be on the couch, you know where to find me."

"Okay, goodnight Armin." Eren said, squirming down into the covers, still with my jacket on top of him, and his snoring could be heard seconds later; this kid would either be fully awake or asleep, nothing in between.

I propped myself back against the wall I was before, looking down at Eren's bundled figure now staying still.

I would want to stay up, just incase something did really happen, which was likely, saying that he'd kept nothing down the past days, and it hadn't let up yet.

Rubbing my eyes, it was my turn to yawn, and my loose white shirt lifted up while I stretched, then relaxing into a slouch, my eyes trained on the wall behind Eren.

Pushing off of the wall after a few minutes had gone by, I went up to inspect some of the papers on Eren's desk. Now I know I shouldn't be snooping, but fuck that.

In the dark light, I could hardly make anything out, but I saw groups of files together with paperwork stuffed in between, and some other papers with haphazard writing scribbled all over it, but some I could faintly make out.

Bills, rent issues, school files, that's all I really saw, nothing out of the ordinary for him, but something did catch my eye. It was a bronze key, sitting farther up on the desk, with an ordinary brown string looping through it, making it usable as a necklace. I traced my finger around it, it had many dents into it, although it felt smooth to the touch.

I hadn't a reason to bring it up to Eren, so I didn't. I didn't need answers for that now, I just needed him to get better sooner.

I walked outside of the room and looked for any sign of a heater.

"What'cha doin'?" I turned around to see Armin lazily spread out on the couch, his head resting against his bent arm, his blue eyes staring directly at me.

"Nothing."

"Whatever you say..." I looked over to see him flopping a pillow over his face.

I eventually found the thermostat, and I set Eren's room a little bit warmer. I turned back towards Armin, looking up at me from a peep hole he made from underneath his pillow.

I neared the kitchen and started rummaging through the fridge, settling on a box of chocolates.

"That's for Jean, y'know."

"The hell would I care?"

"You wouldn't."

"Fine." I shoved the chocolates back into the fridge and got a can of soup instead.

I wasn't really hungry, I just wanted something else to do instead of staring at a wall all night. I pulled the lid off and poured the contents into a bowl that was sitting on the drying rack. I did most of their cleaning once I had started to come back here more often, so I knew it was clean enough to eat from.

I shoved the bowl into the microwave, and after a few minutes it beeped.

"Shit." I glanced back to Eren's sleeping figure, but it didn't move, so the microwave hadn't woken him up.

"Just pull it out a couple seconds earlier." Armin snickered from behind me, I turned around to glare at him.

"Kind of too late for that now, don't you think?"

"Next time then." the blond replied, sighing.

I pulled the bowl out of the microwave, and I almost burned my fingertips. I reeled backwards, trying to stifle a curse, and I heard Armin laughing behind me.

"It's not funny, you brat."

"But it is."

I glared back at him, and closed the door. I sat down at the table and was still glaring at Armin.

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

I heard voices, I couldn't make any of them out, nor could I place faces to the jumbled and mashed together voices.

I groaned as I tried to open my eyes from unconsciousness, and I put my hands behind me supporting myself on the way up, a very slow journey.

I heard laughing from the other room, high pitched so it could've been Armin. A few minutes later I heard a knock at the door, very slowly and steady, the knocks came in seconds intervals, unlike anyone's that I knew.

The voices stopped and the door squeaked open, we'd have to oil it later, and I heard another low yet familiar voice echo throughout the rooms. My senses perked up, and my eyes flew open as sweat began to trickle down my arms and forehead.

"Oh, hello there, Mr. Yeager."

"Hello Arlert.." I didn't want to hear any more.

I thought my dad had left for Germany, apparently he had gotten out of the slammer somehow, and now he's fucking back.

I pulled the pillow over my ears, hoping he'd just go away, and I could only now make out muffled sounds of voices slurring around the fuzziness clouding my brain from working. The only thing that I could sense now was pure fear and triggering memories.

My dad coming home from work, he'd pounce on me and beat me until I was bleeding.

The lights of the burning torches, myself being the target.

I curled up even tighter, hoping it would all just go away. It didn't

I heard footsteps coming closer to my door, and I silently prayed that they weren't my dad's, although I knew those footsteps. The footsteps coming home. The footsteps clambering down the steps, followed by a drunken ass.

"What the hell brings you here."

I scowled at him, but his face kept still, yet he didn't answer.

"What the h-" I was cut off.

"What the fuck do you thinks gives you the rights to turn down your father, the one who raised you? When did you just up and decide to move out without telling me, let alone without my condoning you?"

"Where the hell you've been my whole life?"

"Out." I couldn't help but snicker at this, he'd been out drinking my whole life away, sucking every ounce of humanity I had left in me after all these years.

"Get out, you're not welcome here." I said, keeping my voice as calm as I could, without my temper flaring out, wanting myself to just punch something.

"No." came his just as stoic response.

"What was that?"

"Since when do you get the right to tell me where I can and cannot be?"

"Since you gave up your position as my father."

"Well, son-"

"I'm no son of yours."

"Eren. I'm leaving for Germany again, and I want you to meet... Her."

"You're getting fucking married." I deadpanned, not surprised at all.

"Yes, she's a nice lady, you should meet her."

"Not over _my_ dead mother's grave." I swore long ago when my mother had left, had become addicted, when my father had left, that I would never love, in fear of what would come. I was afraid that I would turn out like my father, hurting and leaving. So I never had attempted to see anyone in that way.

"Fine, don't come. You'll never see me again then."

"I don't honestly care, Grisha."

"Fine."

"That means leave."

"One more thing, your _mother_ is coming to pick you up in three days."

My mouth dropped open, I had finally found somewhere where I would be staying for the summer, and now my mother is dropped into the picture.

Armin came in a few minutes after he left, and sat down next to me, while Levi stood leaning against the doorframe instead of entering my room.

"What happened?"

"My dad's getting remarried- and my mom's picking me up in three days."

"Oh."

"Yea, oh."

Levi decided to speak up from keeping quiet. "How old are you."

"I'm seventeen."

"When will you be turning eighteen?"

"In a couple weeks."

"So we'll go to court about it then."

"What do you mean?"

"I think what he is saying is that we'll talk it out and because you'll be an adult soon, you can legally move out without a guardian." Armin said, and I turned to him.

"Oh," my hope was growing a little brighter. "But what about my mom?"

"Guess we'll just have to play it out." Levi's monotone voice sliced through the silence building up.

I smiled, for the first time in a while, I managed to truly smile since I had gotten sick.

"Levi."

"Hm?"

"Come here." I looked towards his moving figure as he made his way to the other side of the bed, and I sat up with little ease.

I embraced him, resting my head in the crook of his neck, and I started to cry a little, happy tears, for everything he'd been doing for me recently. He'd been too nice to me, but it made me happy.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he leaned in a little, and wrapped his own arms around me.

"Just being there for me."

"You're welcome then, brat." I smiled into his shoulder and squeezed him ever so slightly tighter, breaking the one promise that I had made to myself years and years ago. I had fallen in love.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short lil' chappie, sorry I'm working on another one but my drawing requests are filling up, and I'm on MY FUKING PERIOD AND I WANT SOME ICE CREAM BUT THERE'S NO FUCKING ICE CREAM SO I'M GOING OUT TO BUY SOME


	9. Chapter 9

Once we parted, Armin called some of his contacts to see if the knew a good lawyer, although Levi had offered, Armin had politely declined, unless they couldn't find one.

"You know," Levi started; he was sitting beside me on Armin's bed, resting his weight on one hand, and the other was sprawled out across his knee, one bent up and the other flat. "I have a lawyer that's trustworthy."

"Who?" Armin replied, still flipping through his contacts.

"Erwin."

"Have you worked a lot with him before?"

"Yea."

"Okay, I'll give him a call."

It was nearing dawn, we've been here for a good couple hours after my dad left, again. I looked over to Levi, his face was illuminated by the stars, making his cheeks light up and his eyes shimmer like the stars themselves.

I wanted so badly to just reach out right then and there and touch him, caress his face, maybe go further, but that'd never happen, would it?

I had confirmed my feelings toward him when I had started to blush more often around him, how I'd crave his touch, and when he'd sit right down next to me, I felt warm and fuzzy.

But I was still so far away from him, in relativity, because he'd never understand how I felt towards him, hell, I didn't even know how I felt about him. I had never felt attracted to someone before, so this was a new feeling, especially hard to control.

Levi stood up and wrote in some numbers on a torn off piece of paper, and handed it to Armin, having him start to immediately begin to punch in numbers.

When Levi locked eyes with me, I held his gaze, admiring his glossy silver eyes, how they'd occasionally lighten up when he'd move and catch the stars attention. I liked how they were, like a million emotions were poured into them all at once, and right now, I only saw caring and softness in them, I didn't know what that meant though.

"Levi, your eyes are beautiful."

"No, they're not; they're just plain and gray," he looked directly at me, and opened his mouth again. "But yours, they're really... beautiful." his gaze traveled down to my mouth, and his mouth stayed parted for the time. He reached his hand out and touched my chin, moving his thumb up to my lips, just like all he'd do when I was unconscious.

He retracted his hand quickly and looked away, staring bullets into his palms, his face dusted with the slightest pink, making me chuckle.

He glared up at me, and I shut up but I still continued to stare at him. He stared back too, and it made me fidget around in my sheets. I needed to piss right now, but I didn't want to move, neither could my body actually move, in my state, my legs are probably all stiff and I'll need to learn how to walk all over again.

But being my stupid self, I attempted to stand up anyways. I swung my legs over the side of the bed facing the window, the side Levi sat, and I pulled the sheets off and looked out. The sky was clear, showing every star out there, but one shone the brightest of all.

I smiled, and pointed it out again to Levi, and he took my hand again, while squeezing it gently and he smiled, not directly at me, but out towards the star.

I had gotten better recently, but Armin says I should still rest, because I'm still a bit woozy from all the food loss I've encountered over the past week.

"Levi."

"Hm?" he turned back around to me, his eyes expectant.

"I um.. need to go to the bathroom."

"Are you feeling sick?" Armin asked.

"No, I just really need to go, if you know what I mean."

Instead of responding, Levi picked me out of bed and carried me bridal style until we rounded the stinkish bathroom; after being stuck there for hours, you'd tire of it quite easily.

"Thanks." I said, closing the door and leaning on the wall next to the toilet for support, after all, my legs wouldn't really work for some time.

I knocked on the door because I knew Levi would be waiting for me, just in case I fell or something happened. It opened almost immediately, and there stood Levi, with his arms crossed, but his face showed no anger, instead, for almost the first time, it was calm and gentle, filled with small emotions.

I wanted to touch it so badly, but I didn't. I've been aromantic (I used asexual before, but this is a better match, so I'm changing it to this. For those of you who don't know, it means no connection romantically or sexually at all towards anyone, and Eren here used to be connected towards others, but since both his parents became alcoholics and left him, he felt no more love for anyone.)  for so long, that I've never known what it felt like to be attracted to someone.

But I knew it now, I knew what it felt like to be cared for too, like something was always warm inside of you, it was fuzzy, but it was there all the same, and it never left. But I don't want to ruin that, so I haven't told Levi yet.

I didn't want him, like all the others, to make fun of me, or pity me, or cut ties with me. I wanted things to stay like how they were, so I'd be able to see him almost every day, but that couldn't happen, unless my life was perfect, and it never will be.

Interrupting out my thoughts, I was picked up once more and brought back to the bed, and Levi carefully laid me down, and let me adjust.

I faced the window once more, and Armin had left, he was trying to get some sleep on the hard ass couch, you could hear it creaking as he turned round and round trying to find sleep.

It was almost morning, and the sky glowed with the pre-rise of the sun, and it illuminated us both so well. We were sitting on the edge of the bed, looking outside, probably at a certain star, the blue light that we were basking in, I leaned against Levi cautiously, and when he wrapped his arm around my waist, I accepted that he gave me permission and I leaned in slightly more, until I fully rested upon him.

I smiled, and I think I could see Levi smile too, his other hand reached out to find mine, and I squeezed it lightly, hoping for some reassurance that everything would be alright. Levi leaned his head onto mine, resting slightly lower than me, and we sat there until we both fell asleep upright. I hadn't gotten sick once that day, that's the last thing I told myself before I lost consciousness.

~

I woke slowly to a slow prodding at me shoulder, and I was greeted by a raven, still in my room, but now under the covers, he must have done that while I was asleep. He was still in his clothes from the other day, but they weren't wrinkled at all, call the clean freak if you needed your clothes ironed every morning.

"Mmm? Good mornin', Levi."

"Good morning, brat."

"What time is your lawyer coming over?"

"Three."

"What time is it?"

Instead of responding, he yanked my alarm clock out of the socket and whipped it in front of my face, making me yelp in surprise.

"Oh shit." I had read two on the clock, we only had one hour to get ready, well _I_ only had one hour.

I heard Levi chuckle from behind me as I rushed to change into my most presentable clothing, I only had one shirt that was decent, it was white and buttoned down the middle with a collar to wrap in my only tie I owned, I actually had to have borrowed it from Jean.

It was blue, with stripes of white crosshatching back and forth, it matched my shirt nicely. (I was going to do green but that wouldn't really look all that great)

I turned around to Levi, checking myself over once more. "How do I look?"

He eyed me, "Okay, but next time pull your fly up."

My face instantly went red, and I made sure that the little mishap was fixed, and I heaved out a breath, waiting for Erwin to arrive now.

"So how'd you first meet him?" I started.

He stayed silent for a while, and I assumed I hit a touchy subject.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay, I can tell you."

"Okay."

"It was when.. When my friends both went missing, they had been taken under hostage and beaten, but there was no real proof, so we had to go to court about it."

"Oh."

"And... Eren, there's something I haven't told you, neither had Armin or Hanji, and Erwin would tell you the same thing, that he can't tell you. But I think you should know."

"O-okay."

"Your adopted sister, Mikasa."

 


	10. Chapter 10

"Eren, are you sure you want to hear this?"

I nodded, and leaned into Levi where we sat on the bed, waiting.

"Okay," Levi sighed, and wrapped his arm around me again. "Hell, I don't even think Armin knows the whole story."

I stayed silent, waiting for Levi to continue, and so he did.

"She was taken, by them, soon after she was re-adopted. They forced her to tell them where these certain people were, and then was discarded, and thrown out to the streets. Meanwhile, they were killing every person on their lists that they had gotten over through many of people, the same thing they did to Mikasa.

"They then wanted more, so they went after those who were family to the victims, causing many murder cases going through the city, and then some of the police were trying to track them down, but they were always killed once they had gotten the slightest lead.

"But we pieced up all of our little information, and we found a location that was one of their posts, but when we got there... We were all attacked. Most of us died, and I had managed to make it out, but we had finally found out how much we were really outnumbered, and we were so weak compared to them.

"So we built up an army, and we fought back. I had been part of that, but my mother feared for my life, so she pulled me out soon after I had undergone my first battle, that we had won, and she and I moved from France to here in Japan.

"But my two best friends weren't just killed in that battle. They had taken many of our soldiers and had them to be broken, to get some more information out of them, and I had all wished that I had stayed when I found out they were dead.

"I wished that I could die to join them again, to be able to fight with them side by side, always holding each other up, but my mom made sure that that never happened. She said that I meant too much for her to lose me.

"Everyone who knew the many victims thought that they had betrayed us, but that was quite the opposite. Almost all of the victims I met were fighting hard to keep all the information still hidden, even if it meant their lives."

He paused for a second, but then continued. I didn't say anything.

"Mikasa was killed, and when we had gone back for her funeral.. There were hundreds of dead lying on the streets, Eren, it was a massacre." his voice cracked, and he started to cry into my shoulder, and I felt the same wet liquid run along my cheeks while I hugged him tighter.

"How- how do you know all of what happened to Mikasa?" my voice failed me once again and the last part was barely audible.

"Because," Levi looked up towards me, and he replied looking straight into my eyes. "She was my sister."

I knew this wasn't a joke, Levi wouldn't play around with touchy topics such as this, so I was utterly shocked.

"W-what do you mean?" I knew what he meant.

"Before your family took her in.. She was born from my mother's womb."

"Did your family think that she betrayed you?"

"No."

We stayed like that until a knock on the door was heard, and I got up to greet Erwin, while Levi was trying to clean up his act.

"Oh hello! You must be Erwin?"

"Yes, and you're Eren?"

"That's me, Levi's in the other room, I'll show you around."

"Thanks."

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"Black coffee please."

"Sure."

I started to heat it up while I told Erwin about what was going on, and Levi rushed out a couple minutes later.

"You've got a nice friend here, Levi." Erwin spoke, and Levi nodded.

"Yea, he's something, good at answering the door, too."

Erwin chuckled while I hummed, trying to keep focused and keep making the coffee without burning my hand.

"So Eren's told me what I need to do, and I'm pretty sure this case will be a winner."

I smiled, placing a cup of coffee in front of Erwin, and one for me too. I knew that Levi didn't like coffee, only tea, so I had some already made for him, and I put that in front of him too. A murmur of 'thank you' was heard and I smiled again, sitting down next to Levi, across from Erwin.

I took a good look at him, he had a chiseled face, thick eyebrows, and a small smile played across his lips. His hair was combed back, with an undercut, and it was dirty blond. First impressions had to mean something, and I thought that Erwin would be a good business partner, hope he's as good as he looks, and as good as Levi makes him out to be.

* * *

 

Once we covered almost everything that Erwin would be needing to fight for us, he departed and he left us with a couple notes. I looked them over and they were with his phone number, his office location, and all the other notes that he took while he was here on what we could do. Now it was our job to chose the best way of winning this.

"Eren," I looked over towards Levi, flipping through the paperwork and taking sips of his tea. "When is your birthday?"

"March 30th."

Levi stayed silent, and he glanced at me. (By the way, Eren's school ended about two weeks ago, so its around March 19 now, and don't question the fact that he got out so early.) I didn't know what he was thinking, but I never knew what he was thinking.

He pulled out his phone, taking occasional sips of his tea, and I flipped on the TV, hoping there would be at least one good thing on. Of course, there wasn't.

I walked back over to the table and decided to read through some of the boring ass textbooks Erwin had dropped off for us to study before he would come back again. Picking the first one off the stack of, I don't know, twenty-six? Yea, twenty-six.

I peeped over Levi's shoulder but he quickly turned around so he was facing me and his phone was hidden. I raised an eyebrow as he continued to flip through some unknown shit.

"I need to change my bandage, can you clean it for me?"

"Sure."

We both stood up and while Levi went into the bathroom, I made my way back to my room where I kept everything. I grabbed a bottle of disinfectant too, because after a weeks worth of not cleaning it, it's probably infected and needs to be washed out for another week, maybe more.

I went back into the bathroom, that ugly and smelly bathroom, and handed Levi the bag of bandage and... Some other shit which I have absolutely no idea what it is, Levi had gotten it for me when he had seen the scars, my scars.

I took my shirt off while Levi opened the bag and placed the items on the bathroom counter, and he examined my back, seeing all the crusted and dried blood, with open scars, and a stained red back. I felt horrible for having him do this, but I couldn't reach it, and a shower would only sting into the cuts even more, so I'd have to clean them first.

"Eren."

"Hm?"

"Just.. Hold on, this might sting a bit."

Before I could try to understand what he said, a sharp pain flooded my body, and made its way into my chest, making me whimper. I tried to hold in the tears that wanted to flow out, and I knew Levi was trying to distract me while he did this, and it helped a little, but all I could do was muffle out my cries.

"Sorry," Levi took my hand and squeezed it tightly, more like I squeezed it once he gave it to me, and I bit down with my head buried into my chest. "I'm done, but you need to wash it off in the shower."

"Okay."

I ended up not able to reach everything, let alone stand upright in the first place, so Levi had to help me stand and he would wash my back. I knew this was necessary, but it hurt like hell.

I was leaning against the side of the shower wall, with my hands out, my weight resting solely of my arms, and I tried not to scream.

Every time he ran his hands across my back, I would muffle out any noises that I'd make and he'd tell me it was okay, or he'd ruffle my hair, or tell me lame jokes. It helped, knowing that he was trying, and it brought me comfort. Enough that I could block out most of the pain, and once he was done again, we both got out and he handed me a towel.

Making sure not to scratch any cuts open again, I dried myself off and once again handed Levi the bandage.

It didn't sting anymore, and I smiled when Levi said he was done. I lifted up one of my arms so he could wrap the bandage around my chest, and I repeated the same process with the other arm, keeping both arms probably wasn't the best idea.

"L-levi!" he continued to tickle me, and I squirmed around, trying not to disrupt his wrapping, yet he continued to prod my sides.

"Okay, I'm done."

"Huh?"

"I said I'm done."

I looked downwards and he had indeed finished, although I felt nothing, maybe that's why he did that.

"Okay, thanks."

"Your welcome, brat."

I rolled my eyes and gathered the other items we didn't use and put them back into the bag. Going into the bedroom, I shoved it up in the closet in one of the only empty spots. Armin would be coming back with Erwin tonight, they were talking over things because he wasn't here when Erwin came last time.

As on cue, I heard a knock on the door, and I ran out to open it, but upon opening it, I saw another face that I didn't want to see, ever again.

"M-mom.. Dad? What are you doing here?"

I thought that my mom was coming in two days?! What the hell was she doing here now? And why with my dad? They were both getting re-married, so why were they here together?

"L-levi!" he rushed out and stopped in his footsteps when he saw the two unwelcomed guests.

"We're here to take you home, Eren."

 


	11. Chapter 11

"No!"

Levi stepped in front of me, putting his scowl on his face, I haven't seen him like this in a while.

My father swung at him, hitting him directly in the jaw, and he punched back. I stepped in before this got too gruesome, and I pulled Levi back, but I hid slightly behind him.

He looked back towards me, "Don't worry, it's going to be okay."

I smiled as best as I could manage, and my parents both stood emotionlessly, waiting for something.

"Well, get your bags."

"No."

My father raised his eyebrow sternly, but I continued to resist.

"Now." his eyes were almost glowing, and I wanted so badly to be able to just punch him right now, but then the fighting would break out again.

I ran back into the bedroom, grabbing the key that my dad had given me, and I hurriedly limped back into the other room, and I turned so I was facing all three of them.

"I'll give you a deal."

"Eren." Levi started, but I didn't let him finish.

"Dad, Mom, I'll go with only one of you, if you'll let me give this key to Levi first."

"No, that key was only meant for you." Levi said, stuttering slightly, and backing away as I went closer up to him, his face went dark immediately, making me chuckle.

Instead of listening to him protest, I untied the key and wrapped it around his slender neck, admiring how it fit him so, and I tied the knot in the back for him, and then stepped away to grab my bags from the bedroom.

I lowered myself down to Levi's height, and positioned my mouth to his ear, "I'm really going to miss you, and I guess this is goodbye, tell Armin where I've gone when he gets back, okay?"

Instead of responding, Levi shook himself free and took my face into his hands and he adjusted himself so he was eye-level with me, staring into my eyes he called beautiful. I did that same, I stared into the stormy gray eyes that I loved; I was so engrossed in them I didn't realize when two soft lips met mine, but it broke me out of my trance right away, and I kissed him back, smiling.

I wanted to say something else to him, but my dad dragged me out before I could part from him, but I smiled, my shirt collar dragging me along, and I looked back at Levi once more, he looked sad.

I had his number, and I could call him while I was stuck with my dad, and I could keep up with him, and we could talk every night, if we wanted too.

I smiled briefly once more at him, and he smiled back, waving to me, which I returned the gesture and was hauled into the smelly truck I grew up in. An immediate wave of nausea ran over me, and I tried my best not to gag, because the truck probably hasn't been cleaned since my mom left.

I crossed my fingers that I'd be able to see Levi again after this, and that I'd make it out alive.

"Eren, I forbid you to be with that man." my dad said.

"Why because you're a homophobic freak?"

He didn't answer.

"You're not allowed to run my life anymore, I can decided who and what I live with, and I would never chose you."

"But you certainly did back there." I frowned.

"I didn't want to worry him."

"I don't fucking care if he cries over you, he's not every going to see you again where we're taking you."

"W-what do you mean?"

Fear shot through my veins and the impulse to run became stronger and stronger yet I couldn't, I was trapped. Again.

"We're obviously not taking you home, but we will be bringing you along halfway to Germany, then we'll drop you off with some others."

"You can't!"

"Hm.. But we can, you're still technically seventeen."

I couldn't respond, instead I whipped out my phone to call Levi, but my mom snatched it away from me, examining it and then she opened the window and threw it out. My eyes widened in horror, I had just lost my only standing connection to Levi.

~

Of course I had to think about him while I fell asleep during the ride to the airport, and of course I had thought about how much I was in love with him, and how he'd kissed me, but now I'd never see him again, and I'd be taken away most likely to be whipped and tortured, taken of my innocence and beaten till all of my scars were broken open and more were added.

And of course, I knew Levi was missing me back home, and I didn't really know what was to come anymore, life as I knew it was unpredictable and scary, but Levi had made it seem all better when I was giving up, he told me to get back on my feet.

But now there would be no one to help stopping me from sinking into depression, I'd might as well stop obeying everyone, because their rules are how they expect you to comprehend life, but I saw it differently. I saw it as dark, cruel, and a speck of light down the road, but you had to find it, yearn for it, otherwise you'd fall into oblivion.

Here I was, almost ready to give up everything, but I managed to think back on how I knew I'd be able to see Levi again, that I'd be able to go back to my old life, even if it had changed a little; I'd grow into it and be able to be happy once more.

We both left each other with a gift, I have him my necklace, and he took my first kiss. It felt wonderful, his perfect, warm and frail lips against mine, for a second almost, and his eyes; the way he'd look at me so caringly.

I missed him already, and I wanted to just jump out of the car and run back to him, but my parents both knew where I would be, and they'd continue to take me until I obeyed and came without any resistance.

But I'd always fight, as long as I knew someone was there for me, caring about me, giving me reason in my head to live.

* * *

 

I crumpled down to the floor, resting my forehead on my knees, curled up in a small ball of Levi. I didn't know whether he was coming back or not, but I had kissed him because he couldn't have time to get mad and kill me, but it seemed to make him happy.

I needed to know where he was going to be, I knew the address of his old home, but I was almost sure that he wasn't being dropped off there, from past experience, people weren't going to fulfill their half of their deal.

I looked down at the golden brass key he had tied around my neck. this was the only thing that he and I still had that connected us, so I'd never forget, and if I wanted to, I would just look down and remember everything.

A few hours later the door was rattled, and opened by Armin. I had forgotten that I'd have to explain everything to him now, and he'd obviously freak out and go after him, maybe I should just lie to him and keep him safer.

"Hey, Levi."

"Hey."

"What's wrong?" he walked over towards me, and crouched down next to me, and I sighed, knowing I'd have to tell him sometime or another, he'd know eventually anyways.

"Eren's been taken away by his dad."

"What?!"

"His dad came earlier, and he went without resistance."

"Why would he give in so easily, that's not the Eren I grew up with."

"Maybe because he wanted to give me this.." my voice was a whisper, yet Armin heard what I had said subconsciously.

"What?"

"N-nothing."

Armin touched my neck, and he inhaled his air so quickly I heard it. I glanced up at him, tears were flowing out of his eyes.

"You know.. he told me once that he'd give that key to someone important.."

I didn't say anything.

"Someone who he cherished dearly."

"Who did he originally want to give it to?"

"Hmm? It doesn't matter now, he gave it to you."

I touched the necklace, tracing my finger along the key, feeling every indent and chipped off piece, this key had meant so much to Eren, but he gave it to me... so I wouldn't forget?

I stood up and retreated into his room, closing the door behind me shutting Armin out. I glanced once over at Eren's bed, still roughed up from this morning, but it didn't bother me this time. I wanted to keep it like this so when he was able to get back, he'd feel right at home again.

So I didn't fix the sheets. I sat down on the bed instead and leaned my head into the palms of my hands, reality finally striking me once more, and tears began to fall down through my parted fingers.

Everything up until now, and it was all gone, he had left everything- almost everything- behind, and I had to look at it.

I hoped that wherever he was stuck now, he was fighting to get out, and keeping his mind straight, unable to be broken, the Eren I knew.

* * *

 

I thudded against the wall as I was thrown into the cell; crying out in pain as something sharp was thrown at my face, hitting my forehead directly and cutting open yet more skin and bruising almost instantly.

"Jerks!" I shouted at the black figure.

It was dark in the room I was in currently, no light was anywhere, and there was a door at the opposite side, wooden and barred.

The men slinked out, without a word to me, and shut the door with a tug, sound echoing around me.

It was cold in here, and I could almost feel the grime and other unidentified things growing next to me. I probably didn't even want to know. There was no blankets on my, only my clothes, and there was no bed or mattress to sleep on, only the cold, hard, dirty ground.

I wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight, but I felt the warm and frail lips on mine still, and that gave me comfort, reminding me that not everything was horrible. I was able to find sleep with that thought in my head, and my mind filled with images of my mom, my dad, how Levi tried to protect me, and how I had given myself up.

I was such a fool, I should've fought and tried harder to stay, but I knew I'd be leaving either way, so what was the point in loosing energy I needed right about now.

While I was asleep, people came in and chained me up to the wall, farthest away from the door, and when I awoke, fear tingled around the air, making me nervous.

The clicking of heels came from far away, yet it sounded so close, and the person opened the door, and the silhouette from the light outside clearly indicated that it was my father. 

When I opened my mouth to speak, it was so dry and only a faint rasp could be heard, which was almost a brush of a feather against everything else.

He kicked my in my side and whipped my head up, only to add another bruise to it. I couldn't cry out in pain, for my only voice I had left was in my head.

I kept going to my happy place, when Levi kissed me, when he first smiled at me, and when he'd take care of me, or when he'd listen quietly to my rants on and on about random shit.

But I missed him, and I knew he wasn't coming, nor was I going to be able to see him again, let alone any human again besides my dad and his workers.

Getting hit every night, then others coming in to beat me up some more, then I was left alone to cry in a room where no one would hear, in a room where nobody would care.

I felt no liquid coming to my eyes as I had begged them to do so, and my throat was dried out so much that I could barely swallow.

I hadn't really been fed since I had been brought here five days ago, but my dad had come in with some syringes and had done things to me, I don't know if that's why I'm not hungry. I saw the remnants of the syringe's contents spilled all over the cement floor, and I scooted away from it, the best I could, saying I was chained up to the wall so closely that my feet were lifted off the floor.

I missed him, it's only been three days, and my dad would be moving to Germany tomorrow, and leaving me here with his hired men.

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Thought that I could've had you, but then you were taken away from me, so please come back to your own strengths and help me rise up to our once great power over the heavens.

* * *

 

I had heard Eren talking about how he'd want to go to the ocean someday, so I was driving up to the sandy shoreline where I'd watch for him. The sand was a fine grit, melting under myself when I stepped out of the car and walked alongside the crashing waves.

White sea foam covered the waters, along with a stray bunch of seaweed and shells. Someone had once said to me that the sea foam represents a dead spirit, soon to be melted into the ocean.

I took no heed of those who had given me advice when I was younger, for I did not think that life was dangerous, I thought that someone would always be there to pull me back from the cliff, yet I learned that you have to be that person.

I found pieces of stray driftwood as I walked, picking them up and hauling them into my bag I was dragging around. I took a couple shells and some other scraps.

It was dawn, and I'd be working on this for days on end, waiting for Eren to return. The sun was barely rising over the small horizon, illuminating the waters with a yellow glow.

The places where I could start are endless, Eren would love any of them whether I hide it in the bushes or right in front facing everything.

There were bunches of weed and grass growing by the opposite side of the ocean, the plants green with sand covering them.

I had no stone to build with, so I'd have to bring some over later in the day after I had collected enough driftwood.

I set the piles of material I had so far near the grass, out of the reach of the water's grasp and hidden from sight. As I climbed back into my car, I reflected back on how Eren was always happy even when he was sick, and I just had to hope he'd come back in one piece.

Places like the beach were not ones I would usually go to, because they were either dirty or filled with sweaty people, yet this beach was secluded and it was very often when someone would walk down the light sands, yet it did happen.

I wish he'd come back right now, I miss him too much, it's only been three days.

Light poured through the windows of my car as I pulled out of the sandy docks, and I glanced out and knew that Eren would love this. He would love it because of how the waters were painted with the glow of the sun, or how it reflected every emotion possible, or maybe I'm just overwhelmed because I'm just missing him.

When I pulled into the small parking lot for the waterfront, where there were a lot of rocks, I stopped the car and looked over everything.

I might have to take more than two trips here, because rocks were heavy and my car would only hold so much, and I'd have to take my time in this, not rush it. It was for Eren, after all.

* * *

 

Wiping the sweat slicked to my forehead, I heaved up another rock into the small car, I had attached a small trailer to the end so it would hold more. I ran my now bloodied hands through the water, running the blood off of them and taking off the dirt from under the rocks.

If this was going to work, I'd need to get over my fear of dirt for a while and deal with it.

* * *

 

I stacked the rocks, big and small, together so no gaps were seen and they created a small wall, in protection of the winds and rain, height about five feet; yes, I had to use a ladder, don't comment about my height.

The cold wind began to bite at my exposed arms and legs, along with my neck, making me shiver more while sweat was still sliding down my limbs.

I had decided on making a rock wall a little higher than four feet tall, wrapping around so it was a semi-circle, just squared off around the edges, instead of round.

It faced the ocean, you could see out but if it happened to rain or snow, heavy weather would be blocked out by the wall for the most part. I put the pile of driftwood inside of the wall so I could build there later on, but for now I needed to make sure there were no big gaps for less support.

* * *

 

It was finally done, after three gruesome days of all work, I had finally finished it, and Eren can come home to this now.

Inside of the stone wall, I had used the driftwood and other planks of wood I bought to make a treehouse sort of thing, there were the normal six sides, but the one facing the ocean wasn't covered, it had a light cloth draped over it though, and it blocked out the morning sun if it was needed.

I was held up five feet by support beams I used, made out of metal and wood, and it kept the house firmly upright. The upper part was all made of the driftwood I found along the beach, yet they were all either nailed together or stapled together.

Hanji and Armin, even Jean, had helped afford the parts needed for this, and they all helped construct it, and the final product was defiantly one worth being proud of, Eren would be proud.

We all sat outside, eating our lunches by the seaside, and silence hung over us, most of us were tired and hungry, so we didn't feel the need to communicate.

_____

I opened my eyes, seeing a fair lady rushing to untie me from the chains that held me down for days, I smiled at her, not recognizing her at first glance, but when I took a good look at her, she had my hair, my eyes, my skin color, and my smile.

"Mom?" my throat was not cooperating, and my voice came out just a rasp, but she had heard. The small smile that played across her lips, the twinkle in her eyes, I knew then that she had really changed for the better.

She didn't speak though, instead, after untying me, she ran out rushing so fast, I was afraid of what dad would be doing to her when he found out, if he found out.

My wrists were cut open, dried blood with new forming brown rust, with bruises opening large scars that hadn't healed since seven years ago.

I didn't know where I was going, I was just going out, anywhere but here, but I had run into a trap, I realized that I had been set up.

Fire, flames dancing across the walls, all I could see now, red.

This all triggered a long put away memory, one that had scarred me so much when I was a small child, still living in me all these years. I froze, that's all I could really do now, let's just say my legs fell to the ground, collapsing and giving in to this horror that I could now not fight.

Red tongues flicked at my arms, quickly running up to my face, running along my scar that rested along my chin, across my neck.

It hurt like hell, I had shouted out in pain, but nothing changed, and my voice had given up. I was completely defeated and surrounded by the fire around me.

It was burning down the house, and over time my legs worked once more; I heaved myself upwards, my shaking legs bringing me as fast as I possibly could to anywhere out of this wreckage.

All I saw from a distance was red, shooting up and down quickly, engulfing everything in sight. My dungeon, the place where I had been trapped, is now gone, but so is everything else. My fingers that Levi had loved were now burned, along with the left half of my face, covering my scar that he'd touch.

But, now I was free.

* * *

 

'Levi, there were reports that there was a place that had burned down recently, reporters said that they found two people by the names of Grisha and Carla, wasn't that the names of Eren's parents?'

"But... what about Eren? Did they find him?"

'...' I sighed, dropping the phone, but the call continued.

'LEVI!' I almost winced, even though you normally wouldn't be able to hear someone on the other line so clearly, this was Hanji we were talking about, so of course she'd scream at me to get my attention.

"What the hell do you want."

'Eren mentioned somewhere along the borderline of Germany, right? We could look there and ask around where the fire was, maybe get a lead on where Eren is.'

"That... that sounds great, Hanji." I smiled for in what seemed like forever, maybe I'd actually be able to find Eren, the hideout I built was still standing nice and strong, yet we've had many storms over the weeks, but it held strong.

I had just been informed by shit for brains that Eren's parents had died in that fire, yet I suspected that that was what they had intended. Eren wouldn't answer his calls, so I assumed he didn't have his phone on him anymore, I just hoped that he was alive and not buried deep in the rubble from the fire.

I didn't care whether he had gotten messed up in his appearance, I would still care for him, because.. well, probably because I had fallen flat on my face in love with him.

* * *

 

Should I just turn myself in? Maybe then I'd be able to be relocated to Levi, but wouldn't the subject about being with no legal guardian now stand? I couldn't do it yet, I wasn't technically eighteen quite yet, about another week.

Maybe I'd fly over to Japan and try to find Levi there, but what if he already went searching for me here? I knew that he'd know I was in this general area because of all of the news and reports running through nationally, and knowing him, he'd come looking for me. So I assumed it was best to wait it out.

Would it be possible that if I stayed near a beach that he'd look there? I had always told him how much I wanted to visit the ocean someday, and I would defiantly go, someday. But I wanted to go with him, not wait for him; so I'd camp out near the closest ocean by here, hoping he'd figure it out.

So I did the next best thing, I went to the bar to drink my worries off.

* * *

 

"Now look here, this is my flight and I _will_ be on it, you got that?" my head hurt.

I had been arguing with the flight attendant for a half hour now, and they refused to let me on board because of the 'full capacity', what a complete piece of bullshit lies; I could see right through them.

I was taking Armin and Hanji along with me, but they said that they only had room for one more person, so I was trying to talk them into letting us all get on. It was probably because I only had one ticket, but I gave them my reasoning, yet they refused us to get on the next flight.

"Levi," Armin patted my shoulder, and I glanced over to him. "Hanji and I will stay, you go. Eren would probably want to see you first."

I stayed silent for a while, thinking over my options, "Okay, but promise me you'll have a welcome back party ready by when I come back, okay?"

Armin grinned and nodded, letting me take my carryon luggage and myself into the transport isle.

"I'll miss you, short stack." I waved off Hanji's insult and said my goodbyes to the two, finally hopping on the plane.

I was going to Germany to get him back, that's all I had my mind set to.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some action finally going on, more shiz and yuh, enjoy.

"One more time!" faces unknown around me began to shout, cheering and throwing their hands up in a fist to the air, but I didn't have a sense of mind then.

"Yea!" I returned the gesture and downed another beer, my mind had already been fogged over, but I could still hold my liquor pretty well, although I wouldn't likely remember anything tomorrow.

Everyone around me shouted out, making my grin turn wider on my face, but I was still missing something, that's right, Levi. I was supposed to wait for him to find me, not get drunk, how was that working out for me so far, eh?

"Ere!..." voices faded in and out, but I saw them, and their reactions enough to judge what they were saying.

Suddenly, the whole room went silent, and two bulky men appeared.

"Settle the fuck down!" some of the crowd started to complain, but most stayed silent because we knew that these two men co-owned this place.

"Hey, kid-"

"My name 's Eren." my face was probably scrunched up for all I knew, I didn't really know anything that was happening around me right now.

"Eren. Levi just called in for you, he was wondering where you were."

I couldn't respond, did he really look for me all this time? I felt water begin to pool up around my eyes, and I smiled for the first time since I'd been taken from him, finally not having to fake anything, this is what real joy felt like.

"Thanks."

As I ran up to envelope him in a giant hug, he backed away, putting his hands up. "Woa, kid- Eren, no need to thank me, just doing my job s'all."

"Still.."

He stayed silent, but I could hear cars pulling up outside, probably only because the whole room was silent, so unlike a room full of drunks.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Eheh..." a nervous smile forced across his lips, but I hugged him again, causing him to stumble backwards.

I heard the door open, as a warm draft floated into the room, I saw two figures, and as the separated, I almost screamed out in surprise and happiness.

On the right, was Levi, and on the left.. 

"Mikas-" I was unprepared for the spine crushing hug sent my way from said raven, while Levi had a grin plastered across his face. I looked up at him, and smiled, nuzzling my face back into the shoulder of my adopted sister.

"I thought she was dead?"

"He lied." Mikasa stated, then she grinned, laughing suddenly.

"Huh? I'm confused."

Levi stepped in, "I didn't know she made it out alive, we never actually had her body when we held her funeral, so she was still missing." and for the first time, I saw Levi laugh, like really laugh, it was beautiful.

As Mikasa let go of me, I ran over to the short man I had fallen in love with, and our lips smashed together, both of us smiling.

"You still have the necklace?" I had my lips to his ear, whispering to him as I played with the string that connected to the key.

"..." A pressure was held to my chest until I felt Levi's heart jumping. "Yea."

He let go as he kissed my neck, sending shivers all through my body, but lighting me up like a fire.

"Well, Eren, how has everything been going for you? Except for your parents, of course." Mikasa piped up.

"Well, it's been good, actually, I met this guy here," pointing to Levi with a crooked smile on my face, making him laugh too, "and I'm also going to be relocated to another foster family when the summer ends.

"Ah, well that's where you are wrong, Levi and I, and your friends, well...." I looked expectantly at her, waiting for her to continue. "We won, Eren."

I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day, even though I smelled like booze, I was completely stable.

They had gone to court for me, and best yet, they had won my case, and Levi had helped them all, I knew that he had changed over the past month, and then again, we all had.

I leaned against Levi's shoulder as we drove back home, more like to the airport. Nothing could get much better than this, my parents were finally gone, even though I felt sad because they were dead, I still felt it was best, and I wasn't in a state to worry about when summer ends anymore.

My birthday had already gone and past, but I felt like this was to make up for it somehow, just everyone's way of saying that in their own way.

* * *

 

I stepped inside, the lights were all off and Mikasa said she'd head home, but Levi had stayed for now.

I was pushed against the wall once the two of us were inside, and Levi had closed the door, now pinning me to the wall, his face inching forward.

"I really missed you, Eren." I smiled and pulled him in closer, closing the gap and our lips connected, surprising him.

I felt him tangling his fingers into my hair, I felt him drag his fingers along the side of my face, instantly reminding me of my burn. As we pulled away breathless, he shortened down from being on the tips of his toes to reach my face, and he locked his gaze with mine, making me short of breath.

I could never properly do anything around him, he made me feel all jittery and nervous at some times, but this was different, it was anticipation.

Instead of the scolding I had prepared myself for, there were his soft lips trailing across my sensitive skin, and it made me shiver in excitement.

I used my arms to wrap along his neck, clasping together behind him, I loved every minute of this heaven.

"Wait," he pulled away, earning a slight pout from me. "I want to show you something, it's along the beach."

My eyes lit up as I hugged him, causing him to stumble backwards, but held strong.

"I don't yet know what it even is, but I missed you so fucking much, Levi."

There was a comfortable silence that hung in the air, not broken when we parted and got into his car, full of chips of rock. I didn't question it.

Outside, the cold summer's day was taking shape, a most unusual sight at somewhere like this, although it did happen once in a very often chance. Wind blew around the grasses, passing through the tree's leaves, hustling around everything.

But this was different, it was one of the worst storms I've seen since I moved here 14 years ago, and I wasn't planning on it getting any better. Hopefully Levi will be going somewhere inside, otherwise we'd both get soaked for hours.

But then again, I didn't really care that much anymore, although I _had_ just gotten over my sickness that took place when I was stuck in the rain for a miniscule period.

I reached my hand over to the driver's side, and searched for Levi's, locking onto it and squeezing it gently, getting the action returned to me. I smiled, I smiled a lot recently, probably because I was with my family again; not my real family, but this would have to do.

Possibly because of the fact that Mikasa would be here again, I hadn't seen her for so long, yet she still had the scarf that I had once worn. After all these years, she still remembered me.

As we came to an idle, still not letting go of my hand, Levi fished something out of his pocket before turning back to me, making me shift once more.

"Here, you'll need this." looking down at my palm, I saw a tiny brass key, almost matching the one I gave him, just smaller in size, and I clutched onto it tightly.

"Okay."

When we stepped out, I was greeted by sand, I knew what it looked like, I knew what it was, yet I had never once touched it or experienced it once before. I probably ran around like a foolish child, but I didn't care. I probably rolled around getting filthy, but I didn't care, because this was were Levi had known I had wanted to go someday, and he wasted no time in coming when I came home.

"Thank you so much." I said as I walked back up to him, trying to sort myself out so I didn't look so silly, but it didn't look like Levi put much thought into it. Instead, he pulled on my arm and dragged me out farther across the flat plains of sand.

The clouds started to roll in, but we paid no heed, too caught up in the current situation. He started to run faster, and I followed along, anticipating for what was to come, a giant grin still plastered along my face.

When we were almost there, Levi slowed down and put his hands over my eyes, directing me along, not that I'd trip on sand.

His lips came closer to my ear, "Open them, Eren." and when I did, my entire grasp on life as I knew it vanished, instead it was replaced by total awe at what Levi had probably slaved over while I was gone to work at.

"I love it so much, thank you, Levi!" I grinned, and he smiled back, and unconsciously, I pulled him into a dance like pose, twirling him around, illuminated by the receding sunlight. It made him beautiful, and before I knew it, we were face to face, our lips inches from one another; I made sure to close that little gap, surprising him, but when we pulled away he was smiling like an idiot just like me.

"Happy birthday, Eren." my mouth dropped.

He had done all of this for me, just for my birthday? I realized then how nice he really was, and that he wasn't as thoughtless as he probably once was, and that he had indeed changed, and so had I.

 


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I'M FUCKING SICK AND I HAVE A FEVER MY WHOLE BODY HAS BEEN HOT HOT HOT ALL DAY LONG AND IT'S NOT A FUCKING ALERGY, WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU SEND ME TO SCHOOL WHEN I'M LITERALLY FALLING ASLEEP DUE TO LACK OF ENERGY ALL DAY LONG AND I CAN'T PAY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES NOW. I'M SWEATING ABNORMALLY AND HAVING A HOT LAPTOP ON MY LAP ISN'T HELPING ONE SINGLE BIT BUT I CONTINUE TO WRITE.

I laid still, Levi's arms wrapped along my waist as his soft breaths were heard. Nothing had gone on last night, but the sun had woken me up from my peaceful slumber.

The storm ended up being to bad for us to go home in, so we stayed out the night in the hideout Levi had built for us. I looked down at his sleeping figure, his eyebrows resting, a very rare sight to see, even when he's unconscious. I wonder what he's dreaming of right now, he seems happy enough though.

"Mhmmm.. G'morn.... Ern..." he snored back into sleep, as I stroked his hair, it was smooth and comforting in a way.

I attempted to sneak out of the makeshift bed we were in, but was pulled back down my a very forceful and _sleeping_ Levi. God dammit, he was a strong midget.

My phone rang, and I had to literally throw it elsewhere, anywhere so it wouldn't wake Levi up.

"C'mon... let me goo..." I tried to pull away, without any luck, so I started to nibble down on Levi's ear, causing him to shriek and push me away, while I smirked. Well, at least now he doesn't have a death grip on me anymore.

I picked up the call, answering to a screaming Mikasa, I had forgotten how over protective she could get.

"DON'T WORRY!!!!" I waved my hands up in my face, although she couldn't see me, I had always used more hand gestures than talking. "Don't worry, Mikasa, we're fine- no, nothing happened."

Levi eyed me, stretching and walking up to grab something out of the mini freezer he had put in here.

"No, no! I'm sure Mikasa, we can get home fine, don't worry." I sweat dropped, sweat trickling down my forehead, groaning as Mikasa told me in hundreds of different ways that I should've been home already- last night.

I hung up on her, knowing she'd get over it eventually, and tossed my phone onto the soft bed with our deep sinking hole we had made overnight (I don't remember what it was called, impression is what I think it is, correct me if I'm wrong)

"Mikasa?"

"Yea, how'd you know." I said sarcastically, leaning back to kiss him.

"We should probably head back, before she sends a whole search party out for us."

"Heh.." I said, nervously. I hadn't seen Mikasa in so long, but I never forgot how she'd go crazy if one of us went missing for over three hours.

After we climbed down, we were now standing on the soft sand, burning my feet but still cool at the same time.

Levi held my face up, tracing along my burned half with his thumb, rubbing it up and down.

"Do you.. do you hate me, you know, looking like this now?" I fidgeted around, shifting my weight from each foot.

"Eren," he started sternly. "I love you, no matter what you look like, as long as I don't lose the Eren I know.. And even if you do change, I'll still love you, no matter what." I smiled, and brought him into a bone crushing hug, causing him to start to gasp for air, like a fish out of water.

"Sorry." I grinned sheepishly, playing with the locks of hair covering his forehead, and leaned into him, our lips locking together. He was smiling when I pulled away, as the wind blew across the ocean, turning cold as it hit the shore.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, I feel really crappy now, and I'm overheating by the minute, but here's a little update. Someone please send ice cream.... bleh I'm dyin.


End file.
